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LIVE UPDATES: Portugal 1-1 D.R Congo World Cup 2026 – Follow all the action, the goals and the celebrations

Eric Kwafo June 17, 2026
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World Cup 2026

Portugal forced to share the spoils with D.R Congo.

90+6’ It is all over. The match has just finished.

90’ What a chance that is! Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) finds himself unmarked in a promising position after receiving a cross on the edge of the box and his attempt sails a whisker wide of the right post.

83’ Francisco Conceição is penalised for a foul as he challenges for possession, with referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim in an excellent position to spot the infringement and stop play.

82’ Joris Kayembe finds himself in a promising attacking position for DR Congo, but his final delivery lets him down as the cross fails to find a teammate in the box.

80’ Francisco Conceição’s run is cut short by the assistant referee’s flag, with the Portugal winger caught offside.

77’ Close for DR Congo! Noah Sadiki picks out Cedric Bakambu in space and the forward wastes no time in unleashing a shot from distance, but the effort drifts narrowly wide of the left post.

76’ SUBSTITUTION – DR Congo
Sebastien Desabre makes another change as Arthur Masuaku leaves the field and is replaced by Joris Kayembe.

75’ SUBSTITUTION – DR Congo
Charles Pickel enters the match for DR Congo after Edo Kayembe is forced off through injury, bringing an end to an eventful outing for the midfielder.

74’ Cristiano Ronaldo gets a sight of goal after receiving a clever pass inside the box, but his effort is bravely blocked by a defender. Portugal win a corner and send plenty of players forward in search of a breakthrough.

72’ SUBSTITUTION – Portugal
Roberto Martínez turns to his bench as Rafael Leão is introduced, replacing Pedro Neto for the final stages of the contest.

66’ João Cancelo swings a cross into the penalty area, but it lacks the necessary pace and is comfortably gathered by Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, who comes off his line to claim the ball.

65’ Portugal continue to probe for an opening as João Cancelo attempts to thread a pass through the defence, but a DR Congo defender reads it well and blocks the move.

63’ Close for DR Congo! Steve Kapuadi rises highest to meet a delivery into the box, but his header drifts narrowly wide of the right post as Portugal escape another scare.

60’ Portugal win a corner after Francisco Conceição’s dribble is stopped just in time by the DR Congo defence, who concede under pressure on the flank.

57’ Play is briefly halted as Nuno Mendes goes down with a knock, with the medical team quickly coming on to assess the Portugal defender.

56’ Cedric Bakambu looks to pick out a teammate from outside the box, but Portugal’s back line reacts sharply to cut out the pass. DR Congo, however, win a corner from the resulting pressure.

55’ DISALLOWED GOAL! João Cancelo thinks he has put Portugal ahead, but the goal is ruled out for offside. Cancelo protests the decision, but the assistant referee stands firm with a clear call.

49’ Pedro Neto delivers a dangerous whipped cross into the box, and Francisco Conceição does well to control it, but his attempt to set up a shot is quickly shut down by a well-timed defensive intervention from DR Congo.

46’ SUBSTITUTION Portugal make a change immediately after the restart as Bernardo Silva is replaced by Francisco Conceição.

46’ The second half gets underway after the break, with both sides returning for a crucial next 45 minutes following a 1–1 first-half scoreline.

HT The referee brings the first half to a close. Both sides head into the dressing rooms level after an entertaining opening 45 minutes, with Portugal’s early lead cancelled out by DR Congo’s late equaliser.

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45+5’ GOAL! Portugal 1–1 DR Congo
Yoane Wissa brings DR Congo level in dramatic fashion just before the break, bursting into the box to meet a whipped cross from Arthur Masuaku and smashing a superb close-range finish into the roof of the net. What a response!

45’ Four additional minutes will be played at the end of the first half as indicated by the fourth official.

41’ João Cancelo is penalised for an offensive foul after going too aggressively into the challenge, with referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim making a firm and correct decision.

37’ Portugal threaten again as Pedro Neto is played through by a precise defence-splitting pass, but he cannot bring it under control and a DR Congo defender reacts quickly to win it back.

33’ BIG SAVE! Edo Kayembe tests Diogo Costa from distance after finding space to shoot, but the Portugal goalkeeper gets down well to gather a well-struck effort aimed towards the middle of the goal.

32’ YELLOW CARD! Chancel Mbemba is booked after accumulating too many previous infringements, with referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim finally reaching for the card.

31’ Aaron Wan-Bissaka delivers a dangerous cross into the box for DR Congo, but Portugal’s defence stays alert to intercept and clear the danger decisively.

28’ DR Congo react well at the back as a defender makes a crucial last-ditch block to deny Pedro Neto’s attempted pass, sending the ball out for a corner. Portugal continue to pile on pressure and will have another dangerous set-piece opportunity.

24’ The referee pauses play and both sets of players take a moment to hydrate and recover as the tempo briefly drops in the heat of the contest.

22’ Portugal continue to control possession with some composed build-up play in midfield, calmly circulating the ball as they look to stretch DR Congo’s defensive shape.

18’ DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau shows good awareness, coming off his line to clear the danger before Nuno Mendes can latch onto a threatening through ball just outside the box.

15’ Yoane Wissa is caught offside as DR Congo try to break forward, with the assistant’s flag halting the attack.

13’ Bernardo Silva goes into the referee’s book after bringing down an opponent, with Abdulrahman Al Jassim showing no hesitation in issuing the yellow card.

11’ Big chance for DR Congo as Yoane Wissa finds himself unmarked on the edge of the box after a dangerous cross, but his effort drifts just wide of the left post — a real warning sign for Portugal.

6’ GOAL! Portugal 1–0 DR Congo
João Neves gives Portugal the lead after latching onto a clever lofted pass from Pedro Neto, finishing calmly with a close-range header into the top right corner. Early breakthrough for Portugal!

1’ The match gets underway in what promises to be an intense Group K clash between Portugal and DR Congo. Portugal take the kickoff as the referee, Abdulrahman Al Jassim, signals the start of play. Both sides are immediately into their early shapes, settling into the rhythm of the game.

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The match between Portugal and D.R Congo will kick off at 17:00GMT.

Neither Portugal nor DR Congo are reported to have any injury concerns heading into this Group stage encounter.

For DR Congo, forward Cédric Bakambu will be the main attacking threat after scoring four times during qualifying. Notably, all of his goals came in the first half, highlighting his early impact in matches.

All eyes will once again be on Cristiano Ronaldo, who enters the 2026 tournament with a unique record as the only player to score in five different World Cups. Three of his last four World Cup goals have come against African opposition, adding extra intrigue to this matchup.

Key Players to Watch and Team News

Interestingly, each of the last four goals DR Congo have conceded came after the 50th minute, suggesting potential vulnerability in the later stages of matches.

DR Congo have shown defensive resilience in their wins, with 18 of their last 22 victories coming via clean sheets.

Nine of Portugal’s last 13 matches have featured over 2.5 goals, highlighting their attacking consistency.

Portugal have scored in ten consecutive World Cup matches prior to their 2022 quarter-final exit against Morocco.

Hot Stats and Trends

Portugal’s recent World Cup history against African opposition includes a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in 2022, though they did end preparations for this tournament with a 2-1 friendly win over Nigeria.

This is the first ever meeting between Portugal and DR Congo at senior international level.

Head to Head History

Head coach Sébastien Desabre has faced challenges in preparation, including disruption linked to an Ebola outbreak back home that affected travel for supporters. Despite this, he has called on fans to “see and hear” his team on the global stage.

DR Congo arrive as clear underdogs but with a historic opportunity to make an impact. Their qualification came through a 1-0 playoff win over Jamaica, ending a 52-year absence from the tournament. Their last World Cup appearance in 1974 saw them lose all three group matches without scoring and concede 14 goals in total.

Despite their impressive run, World Cup history has often told a different story for Portugal. Since 1966, they have reached the semi-finals only once, and slow starts have frequently held them back. In their last four World Cup opening matches, they have won just once, drawing two and losing one. Those games have also produced high-scoring encounters, with 15 goals scored across the last three openers, including a 3-2 win over Ghana in 2022.

Portugal arrive at the 2026 World Cup in strong form, losing just once in their last 13 matches with 10 wins and two draws. Their most recent competitive outing produced a stunning 9-1 victory over Armenia in qualifying, underlining their attacking firepower heading into the tournament.

Match News and Current Form

DR Congo, meanwhile, mark their long-awaited return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they competed as Zaire. Their comeback sets the stage for a fascinating contest against a Portugal side widely viewed as one of the tournament favourites.

Portugal begin another push for long-awaited World Cup glory in Houston as they face Democratic Republic of Congo in a Group stage clash that brings together one of Europe’s most consistent powerhouses and a nation returning to football’s biggest stage after more than five decades.

Follow this Africasoccer Live Blog for the World Cup 2026 match between Portugal and D.R Congo.

Tags: D.R Congo Portugal World Cup 2026
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