Match report
Portugal held to 1-1 draw by Congo DR in World Cup group opener
Portugal were made to settle for a 1-1 draw against Congo DR in their opening World Cup Group Stage match at NRG Stadium, a result that will have felt below expectations given the dominance they enjoyed for long spells.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
João Neves gave Portugal an early lead in the sixth minute, finishing off a move started by Pedro Neto. Congo DR responded right on the stroke of half-time, with Yoane Wissa converting an assist from Fuka-Arthur Masuaku Kawela to level the score at 1-1, a scoreline that held through to the final whistle.
Portugal dominated territorially, holding 75 percent of possession, yet it was Congo DR who had the sharper edge in front of goal, registering eight shots to Portugal's seven and two on target compared to Portugal's one. Congo DR also edged the underlying chances with an expected goals figure of 0.87 against Portugal's 0.65, reflecting a match in which control did not translate into a cutting edge for the hosts.
João Neves scored Portugal's opening goal and was rated the best performer on the pitch with an 8.0 rating.
Despite claiming 75 percent of possession, Portugal could not convert that dominance into clear-cut chances, managing only one shot on target.
Portugal and Congo DR drew 1–1 (half-time 1–1).
Portugal met Congo DR in the World Cup (Group Stage - 1). Kick-off was Wednesday, 17 June 2026, 17:00 UTC at NRG Stadium. Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim.
Key moments
- 6' Goal: João Neves (assist: Pedro Neto) — 1–0 · Watch João Neves's goal video (6')
- 45' Goal: Yoane Wissa (assist: Arthur Masuaku) — 1–1 · Watch Yoane Wissa's goal video (45')
Starting line-ups
Portugal (4-2-3-1)
- 1 Diogo Costa
- 25 Nuno Mendes
- 13 Renato Veiga
- 4 Tomás Araújo
- 20 João Cancelo
- 23 Vitinha
- 15 João Neves
- 18 Pedro Neto
- 8 Bruno Fernandes
- 10 Bernardo Silva
- 7 Cristiano Ronaldo (c)
Congo DR (5-3-2)
About this match
On this page: the Portugal vs Congo DR final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this World Cup fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Portugal 1–1 Congo DR. Explore more on the Portugal and Congo DR team pages or the World Cup page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Portugal vs Congo DR?
Portugal and Congo DR drew 1–1 (half-time 1–1).
›Who scored in Portugal vs Congo DR?
João Neves (6') for Portugal; Yoane Wissa (45') for Congo DR.
›Where can I watch Portugal vs Congo DR highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Portugal 1–1 Congo DR are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.