Cristiano Ronaldo will begin his record sixth FIFA World Cup campaign when Portugal take on DR Congo in their Group K opener at the Houston Stadium on Wednesday.

The match marks the start of Portugal's latest attempt to capture the one major international trophy that has so far eluded both the country and its iconic captain. While Portugal have won the UEFA European Championship and two UEFA Nations League titles, they are yet to lift the FIFA World Cup.

For 41-year-old Ronaldo, the tournament could represent his final opportunity to achieve that dream. The Al Nassr forward heads into the competition as the most-capped men's international player and the highest scorer in international football history.

Portugal at FIFA World Cup

Portugal, coached by Roberto Martínez, enter the tournament among Europe's strongest teams. The squad features several players fresh from Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League triumph, including Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha and Gonçalo Ramos.

Martínez, who took charge of Portugal in 2023 after a six-year spell with Belgium, guided the team to the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League title and will be hoping to improve on Portugal's quarter-final finish at the 2022 World Cup.

Portugal qualified for the tournament by finishing first in Group F with four wins, one draw and one defeat. The team scored 20 goals and conceded seven during qualifying, with Ronaldo finishing as the country's top scorer with five goals.

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Portugal's best World Cup performance came in 1966, when the team finished third, inspired by legendary striker Eusébio. They also reached the semi-finals in 2006 before losing the third-place playoff to hosts Germany.

Their Group K campaign includes matches against DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

DR Congo, meanwhile, are making a long-awaited return to football's biggest stage after an absence of more than five decades. The African side have never won a World Cup match and are still searching for their first goal in the tournament.

Facing Portugal in the opening match presents a daunting challenge, but the Congolese side will be eager to make history against one of Europe's heavyweights.

Match details

Match: Portugal vs DR Congo
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Group K
Date: June 17, 2026
Venue: Houston Stadium, United States
Kick-off: 12:00 p.m. local time / 10:30 p.m. IST

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Where to watch Portugal vs DR Congo in India

Football fans in India can watch the Portugal vs DR Congo FIFA World Cup 2026 match live on United8 Sports, while live streaming will be available on Zee5.

Broadcast partners in other countries
United States: Fox Sports
Mexico: TelevisaUnivision, TV Azteca
Canada: TSN, RDS, Crave, Noovo
Bangladesh: Somoy TV, BTV, T Sports, Bioscope, Toffee, My Robi
Portugal: beIN Sports

All eyes will be on Ronaldo as the Portuguese superstar embarks on what could be his final World Cup journey, chasing the one trophy missing from an extraordinary career.

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Published on: Jun 17, 2026 7:31 PM IST