Portugal and DR Congo Take the Stage in Houston
(image via Getty Images)
Houston will host its second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup today as European giants Portugal take on DR Congo. This will be the first match of the tournament for both teams in Group K.
When: Wednesday, June 17 | 12:00 PM CT kickoff
Where: Houston Stadium; Houston, Texas
TV/Stream: Fox, Telemundo
Ronaldo Makes More History
If he appears in today’s match, Cristiano Ronaldo will become the second man to play in six FIFA World Cups. Lionel Messi achieved the feat yesterday, and marked the milestone with a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria. Ronaldo is the only player to ever score in five different World Cups and could extend that record with a sixth today. Even at 41-years-old Ronaldo is still in great form, coming off a 30 goal season at Al Nassr that culminated in a league title. After yesterday’s performances of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, all eyes now shift to CR7.
Portugal’s Golden Era
Even with Ronaldo now over 40, the supporting cast around him may be the best Portugal has ever had. The Paris Saint-Germain trio of Joao Neves, Vitinha, and Nuno Mendes are coming off a second straight UEFA Champions League title. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes broke the English Premier League’s single-season assist record this season. Bernardo Silva and Pedro Neto are expected to start on the wings, two players with loads of success in England. We saw what Argentina did in 2022 in “winning it for Messi” because that team was so good around him. Now in 2026, could we see the same with Ronaldo and Portugal?
The Leopards Return
DR Congo returns to the world’s stage for the first time since 1974 when they played in the World Cup as Zaire. They had a very successful qualifying campaign to get here, finishing ahead of African powers like Cameroon and Nigeria. They will look to star strikers Cedric Bakambu and Yoanne Wissa to lead the way in this tournament. It’s not an easy start for DR Congo as they take on Portugal today and Colombia on Tuesday but a match against Uzbekistan in their final group stage contest could be one that sees them with a chance to qualify for the Round of 32.
