Portugal begin their campaign with Ronaldo

Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup opens with Portugal vs DR Congo at the NRG Stadium in Houston. Portugal target a first-ever World Cup title, and while 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo remains the focus, it is their star-studded squad that will make the real difference on the road to the trophy.

The squad at Roberto Martínez's disposal has outstanding quality, especially in midfield, and Portugal see themselves as one of this year's strongest contenders. The midfield of Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves and Bernardo Silva is rated the best in the competition, with wide threats such as Pedro Neto and Rafael Leão boosting their goalscoring capacity.

DR Congo last appeared at a World Cup as Zaire in 1974. Sébastien Desabre's side are not expected to trouble Portugal too much, but Spain's draw with Cape Verde showed African teams can spring a surprise. Having beaten Cameroon, Nigeria and Jamaica to reach the tournament via the playoff, DR Congo know how to perform under pressure.

DR Congo will sit back and look to hurt Portugal on the counter. Their defence features Premier League names such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe and Arthur Masuaku. Sunderland's Noah Sadiki will be crucial in midfield, with Yoane Wissa leading the line.

Ronaldo will look to score at his sixth World Cup. He is available for the opener after FIFA suspended his ban — for a red card against Republic of Ireland — until after the tournament. But the gulf in class is huge; SI.com predict 3-1 to Portugal. Refereed by Qatar's Abdulrahman Al-Jassim, Portugal are expected to begin with a comfortable win.

Predicted XIs
Portugal (4-2-3-1): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inácio, Mendes; Vitinha, J. Neves; Silva, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo
DR Congo (4-5-1): Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Masuaku; Elia, Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau, Mbuku; Wissa

Source: SI.com
Image: SI.com