45.
19:56
Half-time conclusion:
Portugal and the DR Congo go into the break with a score of 1-1. The Europeans got off to a better start and took the lead in the sixth minute through João Neves. Afterwards, however, a balanced game developed in which both teams repeatedly secured phases of control of the game. However, things were rarely really dangerous on either side. Portugal often lacked pace and penetration in the final third, while DR Congo particularly lacked precision in crucial passes. But shortly before the break, the Central Africans managed to get a historic equalizer through Wissa.
45.
19:53
End of 1st half
45.
19:53
1:1 Wissa heads to equalize
45.
19:51
Tooor for DR Congo, 1-1 by Yoane Wissa
Shortly before the break, the outsider strikes back! The DR Congo rewarded itself for its courageous performance with the historic equalizer. Arthur Masuaku has far too much space on the right and hits a precise cross into the penalty area. Yoane Wissa cleverly separates himself from his opponent and puts the ball under the crossbar from a half-left position in the six-yard box. Diogo Costa stretches in vain; the Portuguese goalkeeper is powerless against this shot. It is the DR Congo’s first goal at a World Cup – and one that causes huge celebrations on the Congolese bench.
45.
7:50 p.m
Shot by Moutoussamy
45.
7:49 p.m
The DR Congo switches over to the left side. Masuaku is sent steeply, but completely loses the pace there. So a half-lived pass into the center has to follow, from which Moutoussamy can at least get a corner kick with his long-range shot. But this standard ball silts up into nothingness.
45.
7:48 p.m
The xGoal value describes the game so far quite well: 0.16 to 0.10. According to statistics, chances to score were in short supply. That’s exactly what was actually observed.
45.
7:47 p.m
Almost as standard, four minutes should be replayed.
45.
19:46
Official added time (minutes): 4
43.
19:44
Portugal skillfully lets the ball and opponents run through the midfield during these minutes, thereby taking a few seconds off the clock.
41.
19:42
The La Ola wave passes through the wide area shortly before the break. This is how fans pass the time in a phase in which there is little entertainment on the pitch.
38.
7:40 p.m
There was more in it! Nuno Mendes appears quite freely on the left side of the Congo penalty area and takes far too long to play a clean pass into the backcourt. This way the Congolese can line up and intercept the Portuguese’s ultimately poor play.
37.
7:39 p.m
When you look at the statistics, you notice that the Congolese have already had three shots on goal. However, only one of them was on goal. On the other hand, the Europeans have only managed one shot on goal so far. It was successful after six minutes.
35.
7:37 p.m
The Central Africans repeatedly show skillful and clean passing processes, which allows them to gain space. However, it is completely missing in the final third, because there is rarely any danger there.
33.
7:36 p.m
Next long-range shot from DR Congo
33.
7:35 p.m
The Leopards switch quickly via Edo Kayembe. The midfielder shoots with his left hand from 25 meters to the left. The ball is deflected by Tomás Araújo so that Diogo Costa can finally grab it easily.
32.
19:33
Yellow card for Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo)
After a long hit from Portugal keeper Costa, Congo captain Pedro Neto hits his face lightly with his hand.
30.
19:32
The DR Congo is once again on the offensive. But once again a cross from Mukau on the right side was not reached because Renato Veiga was able to clear it first.
29.
7:31 p.m
João Cancelo tries a flat ball from right midfield towards the six-yard box. But the ball is a little too steep for Ronaldo and spins out of the goal.
28.
19:29
Neto is sent to the left wing and has a lot of space there. However, the sharp ball to Ronaldo in the six-meter area did not reach him due to a defensive leg.
27.
19:28
Let’s continue in Houston! Both coaches diligently gave instructions to their eleven players. Let’s see if that helped.
24.
7:25 p.m
Drink break! After almost 24 minutes, the referee interrupted the game and asked the players to the sidelines.
23.
19:23
The Iberians are trying to add the second goal. But it is currently hardly possible to get through against the low-lying Central Africans. Accordingly, Portugal has to keep falling behind and starting again.
20.
19:22
Relatively little has been heard from the ranks so far. The only outliers upwards were heard when Ronaldo scored and made contact with the ball. Otherwise it’s pretty quiet in the stadium.
18.
7:20 p.m
Double chance Portugal
18.
7:20 p.m
Nuno Mendes is sent deep with a long ball and is suddenly in front of the goal. But Wan-Bissaka is attentive and moves the ball out of the danger zone with great strength. But Portugal sticks with it and can get a shot from the left through Bruno Fernandes in the penalty area. This time, however, the ball clearly missed the goal and rolled past the right.
17.
7:18 p.m
Silva and Ronaldo combine purposefully on the left side with several short passes into the Congolese box. But Silva stumbles shortly afterwards in the box, allowing the Leopards to clear.
15.
7:16 p.m
The Congolese response to the goal was pleasing. The Leopards have become bolder since then and are trying to fight their way into the game.
14.
7:15 p.m
The Congolese again! Bakambu devours several Portuguese players on the right in midfield and simply shoots from 20 meters. However, his shot is deflected into a corner by a defensive leg. Thereafter, no danger arises from the standard.
13.
19:14
Yellow card for Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
The New Madrid native hits Kayembe painfully on the right ankle with a straddle. Jassim is rigorous with the warning. Ronaldo’s objection doesn’t help either.
11.
19:13
Know from a distance
11.
19:12
A first advance by the Central Africans! At first Bakambu fails with his cross ball from the right side, but the rebound stays with the DR Congo. This means Wissa can finish from 18 meters slightly to the right. However, the striker clearly missed the left corner.
10.
19:11
Portugal continues to look for ways into the final third, but cannot really cause any danger at the moment. There is sometimes a lack of speed and accuracy to get into the box.
8.
7:10 p.m
This is of course a tailor-made start for the Europeans. Will the Portuguese stick with it and go for more hits or will the DR Congo strike back?
6.
7:09 p.m
1-0 João Neves scores with a header
6.
7:07 p.m
Great for Portugal, 1-0 by João Neves
There’s the early lead for Portugal! The Seleção make the most of their first real opportunity. Pedro Neto has far too much space on the left and brings the ball precisely to the penalty spot. This is where João Neves rises highest and puts his powerful and unstoppable header into the right corner. The Congolese defense seems anything but solid in this scene and gives the PSG professional far too much freedom. During the subsequent celebration, Neves points to the sky and dedicates his goal to the late Diogo Jota.
5.
7:06 p.m
The Iberians have so far not allowed the Congolese to come into play at all. When the Leopards have the ball, the Portuguese run high and press the opponent early. As a result, Africans regularly lose their leather.
3.
7:04 p.m
The Europeans start with a lot of possession and are looking for ways forward with a lot of patience. Every time Cristiano Ronaldo touches the ball, the stadium cheers loudly.
1.
7:01 p.m
The duel is on! The Portuguese have kicked off and are playing in red jerseys. The DR Congo opposes this in light blue.
1.
7:01 p.m
Game start
18:43
The Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim will take charge of the game. This is the 38-year-old’s third appearance at a World Cup. The referee whistled his first two World Cup games at the 2022 tournament in his own country.
6:30 p.m
The DR Congo squad also includes some well-known names from Europe’s top leagues. On the flanks, Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham United and Arthur Masuaku from RC Lens should provide stability and pose problems for the Portuguese wingers. On the offensive side, hopes rest primarily on Yoane Wissa from Newcastle United and Cédric Bakambu from Betis Sevilla. The experienced attacking duo should use the available space and create danger in front of the Portuguese goal.
18:22
On the other hand, DR Congo is one of the big outsiders in this World Cup. For the Central Africans, it is the first World Cup participation since 1974, when the country still competed under the name Zaire. The Leopards only got their ticket to the finals in the playoffs, in which they beat Jamaica. The team was also convincing at the beginning of the year and played their way to the round of 16 of the Africa Cup before the final stop against Algeria. However, the preparation for the tournament was anything but ideal. An Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo forced the selection to take special measures: the team lived in a shielded training bubble in Belgium for three weeks. In addition, a planned test match against Chile had to be canceled at short notice. Coach Sébastien Desabre, who has been in charge of the team since August 2022, still hopes that his team can cause the next surprise at this World Cup today.
6:15 p.m
A look at the Portuguese starting eleven reveals several familiar faces from Paris Saint-Germain. As usual, Nuno Mendes will take over the left side of defense, while Vitinha and João Neves will pull the strings in central midfield. Compared to previous appearances, Roberto Martínez is also making two changes: Pedro Neto is preferred over Rafael Leão, while Araújo moves into the starting lineup for the slightly injured Rúben Dias.
6:10 p.m
The Seleção is one of the closest contenders for the title this year. Cristiano Ronaldo will once again play a crucial role. For the now 41-year-old, it is the sixth World Championship of his career. If Portugal actually wins the title, “CR7” would become the oldest player in history to lift the World Cup trophy. However, there is still a long way to go until then. After all, the Iberians have never reached the semi-finals since the 2006 tournament. After all, the 2025 Nations League winner arrives with a lot of self-confidence. Roberto Martínez, who has looked after the Portuguese since January 2023 and wants to form a powerful team from the talented generation around Ronaldo, Leão, Fernandes and Co., is still on the sidelines. However, the coach will resign from his position after the tournament.
6:01 p.m
In Group K, alongside Portugal and the DR Congo, Colombia and Uzbekistan are also fighting for a place in the knockout phase. This duel starts today in the fourth largest city in the USA – in the same stadium where Germany swept Curaçao 7-1 a few days ago. The roles seem to be clearly assigned: Portugal enters the game as heavy favorites and wants to collect the first important points in the fight to advance. But the World Cup days so far have impressively shown that supposed outsiders can cause a surprise at any time. The Congolese will do everything in their power to make the start of the tournament as difficult as possible for the Portuguese.
Group K starts the 2026 World Cup with the game between Portugal, the 2016 European champions, and the Democratic Republic of Congo! It starts in Houston at 7:00 p.m.