Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo in the first round of the 2026 World Cup. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The match took place on June 17 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Goals were scored by João Neves (6th minute) and Yoane Wissa (45+5th minute).
Portugal started with a quick goal: Pedro Neto received the ball on the left and crossed into the center of the box, where Neves outjumped defenders and headed into the far corner – 1-0.
After that, Portugal had a lot of possession, actively used the flanks, and looked for Cristiano Ronaldo in the box, but could not really develop pressure.
DR Congo gradually recovered, made several dangerous runs forward, and in stoppage time of the first half punished the favorite: after a short corner, Arthur Masuaku crossed to the far post, and Wissa, unmarked, headed in a historic goal for his team – 1-1.
In the second half, Portugal predictably increased territorial pressure, but the game became sticky. Roberto Martínez's team controlled the ball but too often ran into a compact defense and could not find quick solutions between the lines.
DR Congo, on the other hand, became more confident after the break: the team defended deeper but did not just clear the ball; they occasionally threatened on counterattacks.
The final draw looks painful for Portugal: the group favorite lost points already at the start, while DR Congo took an important point in their first match of the tournament.
In the second game of Group K, Uzbekistan will play against Colombia.
Also tonight, two matches of Group L will take place: England vs Croatia and Ghana vs Panama.