Portugal v DR Congo LIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo hunts record World Cup goal after early Joao Neves opener

Cristiano Ronaldo has waited patiently for his first outing at World Cup 2026 and the sight of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe all shining in their first appearances of the tournament will have fired up the Portugal leader even more.

In his sixth - and presumably final - World Cup, Ronaldo will look to guide a team with huge strength in depth behind him towards the latter stages despite questions over whether he is now more hindrance than help to head coach Roberto Martinez.

They begin their Group K campaign with a moderately tricky assignment against a DR Congo side that took the long route towards qualification but are expected to put up a reasonable fight in a pool also featuring Colombia and debutants Uzbekistan.

Follow all the action below:

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Portugal vs DR Congo - World Cup 2026

• Cristiano Ronaldo starts sixth World Cup campaign as Portugal face DR Congo | live on BBC One
• 6' GOAL! Joao Neves heads Portugal in front after early pressure [POR 1-0 DRC]
• Ronaldo eyes history day after Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all shone
• Portugal: D Costa; Cancelo, Araujo, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; B Silva, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo
• DR Congo: Mpasi-Nzau; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kapuadi, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Mukau, Kayembe; Bakambu, Wissa.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:38 , Alan Smith

37’ - Neto threads one through towards Neves on the underlap. It almost comes off. Despite the dominance, Portugal’s only attempt so far was for the goal. So maybe DR Congo, by keeping it tight, will grow in confidence as the match wears on.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:36 , Alan Smith

34’ - Wissa tries to put Costa under pressure and it does lead to a turnover. DR Congo need a bit more of that.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:34 , Alan Smith

32’ - Mbemba is harshly booked for leaping to meet an aerial ball alongside Neto. The Portugal player goes down injured, earning a free kick. That is a poor decision.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:32 , Alan Smith

30’ - Half an hour in and Portugal’s possession share is at 82%.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:30 , Alan Smith

28’ - Neto tries to find Ronaldo down the left but his cross is a bit soft and Mbemba puts it out for a corner. Silva takes it short to Mendes and Portugal return to passing it around patiently.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:28 , Alan Smith

27’ - We’re back underway.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:25 , Alan Smith

23’ - Time for the hydration break. DR Congo already look in need of a rest.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:24 , Alan Smith

22’ - Portugal are back passing it around for fun, though they are not progressing up the pitch in much of a hurry.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:19 , Alan Smith

18’ - Mendes is sent through by an exquisite pass from Fernandes but Wan-Bissaka produces a lovely recovery tackle to win the ball and Mpasi-Nzau emerges to make a keen block. From the next phase, Silva sends a half chance wide.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:18 , Alan Smith

16’ - Portugal get back on the ball and Ronaldo attempts a bicycle kick that does not come off, meeting fresh air rather than the ball.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:15 , Alan Smith

14’ - Neat stuff from Bakambu, who weaves himself into enough space to take a pot shot that ends up being deflected for a corner. Masuaku takes it low and short, allowing Portugal to break. They need to be more ruthless in those areas.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:14 , Alan Smith

13’ - Bernardo Silva is booked for a stretched and high boot that lands on the ankle of Kayembe. Ronaldo protests that it’s his first offence but that does not matter because it’s a poor tackle.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:12 , Alan Smith

11’ - Better from DR Congo. Wan-Bissak has a cross from the right cleared. It breaks to Wissa and he flashes a shot wide on his weaker foot.

Portugal 1-0 DR Congo

18:10 , Alan Smith

8’ - That was the second earliest goal of the tournament so far, behind Nmecha for Germany, but it is hard to say how much of this is about Portugal brilliance or DR Congo perhaps being overawed by the occasion. The reality is somewhere in between.

Since the restart Portugal have gone straight back to monopolising possession, their opponents have no interest yet in committing people forward.

GOAL! Portugal 1-0 DR Congo (Neves, 6)

18:08 , Alan Smith

And there’s the opener. It’s a lovely guided header from Neves after Neto’s outswinging delivery from the left. So simple, so effective. DR Congo may be facing a very long day.

Portugal 0-0 DR Congo

18:07 , Alan Smith

5’ - Pass, pass, pass. This is the most dominant start to a match so far - even more so than Germany against Curacao. Cancelo now whizzes a cross in from the right that causes brief panic...

Portugal 0-0 DR Congo

18:05 , Alan Smith

4’ - DR Congo have now had one touch, a clearance straight back to a red shirt. Another spell of tippy-tappy ends with Fernandes tries to play a diagonal pass that is cleared. DR Congo try to break but Cancelo stops Moutoussamy with a quick foul.

Portugal 0-0 DR Congo

18:03 , Alan Smith

3’ - We are into the third minute and DR Congo are yet to touch the ball. Ronaldo has just had his first touch, an accurate pass, and the crowd cheers.

Kick-off! Portugal 0-0 DR Congo

18:01 , Alan Smith

1’ - And we are underway in Houston. Portugal kick off, playing from left to right as we watch. They choose against booting it straight out of play.

The kits

17:58 , Alan Smith

Portugal are in all red with the slightest bit of green trim. DR Congo, whose anthem was belted out by their travelling supporters, are in bright blue with a red trim.

TV footage shows the family of Diogo Jota sitting in the stands.

Here they come

17:53 , Alan Smith

Here come the teams. Making the now familiarly long L-shaped walk from tunnel to centre circle. We’re moments away from day seven of the World Cup getting underway.

'Make his own headlines'

17:48 , Alan Smith

Olivier Giroud, back on our TV screens in the UK, thinks Ronaldo will be keen to prove a point.

“Cristiano Ronaldo will want to make his own headlines after seeing Erling Haaland scoring and Kylian Mbappe making history [to] break my goalscoring record [for France] and Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick. He will want to be centre stage and show the world he is still here.”

How Ronaldo (and Messi) can define World Cup

17:42 , Miguel Delaney

On 11 July in Kansas City, there’s a fixture that many at the top of Fifa are already giddy about. Barron Trump is even said to have noted it.

Right now it’s just the quarter-final between the winners of matches 95 and 96, but it could well become the first World Cup meeting between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Should Argentina and Portugal both win their groups and proceed, that is where Messi and Ronaldo would come together, six tournaments on from their 2006 World Cup debuts and a collective 48 appearances so far, with more history to be made to stand among the immortals. The first meeting will also be the last, if this is indeed to be the final World Cup for both players.

How Messi and Ronaldo can still define World Cup 2026 despite their waning powers

Vitinha: the metronome

17:36 , Alan Smith

The focus on Ronaldo really does distract from all the talent operating behind him.

Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) on X

A country for old men

17:28 , Alan Smith

Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) on X

Setting the scene

17:19 , Alan Smith

Fans are beginning to arrive in Houston’s stadium

Fernandes dreaming of glory

17:10 , Alan Smith

The Manchester United star, in an in-house piece with Fifa, has said the aim is to bring the trophy home to Lisbon.

“The dream is to be world champions. The key is to focus on what we can do to change the fact that Portugal have never won it and become the first side to bring the coveted World Cup back home.”

Asked about the fans - because there is always a question around the supporters in these interviews - he adds: “They have total belief in us. They believe we’ve got the quality to be the best team in the world, reach the World Cup final and be crowned champions. I think we need to take the positives from that and channel it into energy. We have to understand that our people are by our side and genuinely believe in our national team.”

Ronaldo's World Cup record

16:58 , Alan Smith

He has eight World Cup goals to his name so far, one short of Eusebio's Portuguese record but some way short of where Mbappe and Messi currently reside.

DR Congo XI

16:50 , Alan Smith

Mpasi-Nzau; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kapuadi, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Mukau, Kayembe; Bakambu, Wissa.

Portugal XI

16:46 , Alan Smith

D Costa; Mendes, Araujo, Veiga, Cancelo; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, B Silva; Ronaldo

Tonight's referee

16:40 , Alan Smith

Abdulrahman Al-Jassim from Qatar will be the man with the whistle in Houston.

The 38-year-old has been a FIFA referee since 2013. He was a VAR in 2018 and took charge of three games in Doha three and a bit years ago.

'The striker, the killer'

16:32 , Alan Smith

If anyone was in doubt over Martinez’s pre-tournament stance towards Ronaldo, just have a read of his pre-match comments below. The question, however, is if the main man struggles in this one, how willing will the head coach be to make a change?

“It’s his sixth World but I can tell you that, internally, it feels like his first when it comes to intensity, emotions and how important it is to be ready,” said Martinez on Tuesday. “He’s essential to the team - he’s the striker, the killer, he can open up space for other players and he’s got excellent numbers.”

DR Congo's star man - and a bit of Mukau magic

16:24 , Alan Smith

Star player – Yoane Wissa, Newcastle United: The forward arrives in the US following a campaign of frustration at St James’ Park, where the 29-year-old failed to kick on following a big money move because of a nagging knee injury. Fit now, if he can shine like he did during a final campaign at Brentford their chances of making it out of the group grow immeasurably.

Breakout talent – Ngal'ayel Mukau, Lille: One of several players born in Belgium who instead chose to represent the nation of their elders, the tidy midfielder stood out for Lille this season by delivering a series of all-action box-to-box performances. At 21 he appears a player capable of doing everything well, if not yet dazzling in one specific area.

Portugal's star man - and it's not Ronaldo

16:16 , Alan Smith

Star player – Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United: The assist machine who was voted by experts and his peers as Premier League player of the season instead of several Arsenal players is the creative king for his country too, despite their envious selection of playmakers. If he can get on the same wavelength as Ronaldo, or whoever plays up top, early on then they may well thrive.

Breakout talent – Joao Neves, Paris Saint-Germain: This squad is so jam packed with household names that it is impossible to name a breakout in the truest sense. But the PSG midfielder appears the most probable to reach a new level of global appreciation following a stunning campaign. At 21, he is set to elevate his status from one of the world’s best young midfielders to one of the top central players full stop.

DR Congo squad in full

16:08 , Alan Smith

Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy ​Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)

Defenders: Dylan Batubinsika (Larisa), Gedeon ‌Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Lodz), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Racing Lens), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)

Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Elia Meshack (Alanyaspor), Gael Kakuta (Larissa), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngalayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah ⁠Sadiki (Sunderland), Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock)

Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), ⁠Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), ‌Yoane Wissa (Newcastle)

Coach: Sebastien Desabre

Portugal squad in full

16:00 , Alan Smith

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves), Rui Silva (Sporting)

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting), Renato Veiga (Villareal), Tomas Araujo (Benfica)

Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samu Costa (Mallorca), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Joao Felix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincao (Sporting), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain)

Coach: Roberto Martinez

DR Congo preview

15:50 , Alan Smith

When The Leopards made their only previous World Cup appearance, in 1974 as Zaire, they were Africa’s sole representative. This time they are one of 10 and seem a dead cert to acquit themselves more positively.

That would not take much considering the side 52 years ago failed to score and conceded 14 in their three group games, including nine to Yugoslavia, but Sebastien Desabre will also bring a team that should be imbued with enough confidence to make the knockouts if they can defeat Uzbekistan.

Axel Tuanzebe was the hero of an elongated qualifying campaign, scoring the extra-time winner in their intercontinental play-off against Jamaica, and he is one of several familiar to fans of English club football.

Noah Sadiki, fresh off an impressive campaign at Sunderland, is vital in midfield while Yoane Wissa, the undisputed star, carries the pressure of finding some magic in open play for a team that is organised and difficult to break down.

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Portugal preview

15:40 , Alan Smith

While those fixated upon superstardom rather than this being a team sport will be salivating at the prospect of Ronaldo facing Lionel Messi in the quarter-finals for the first time at a World Cup - should they both reach that stage as group winners - this is another tournament in which how Portugal’s biggest name is managed will be decisive.

If Roberto Martinez can involve him sufficiently to ensure minimal histrionics without compromising their ability to win matches, there is little reason why a squad so packed with talent cannot reach the latter stages. Yet if Martinez is to persist with Ronaldo it is easy to see them exiting with a whimper.

Goncalo Ramos may have been used sparingly by Paris Saint-Germain this season but he appears a much better fit up top - regardless of personality and status. Few squads have such an impressive midfield unit, while there is plenty of strength at the back.

Predicted XIs

15:30 , Alan Smith

Confirmed team news will arrive around 4:45pm BST but here is how both could potentially line up

Portugal XI: D Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Neto.

DR Congo XI: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu

Ronaldo red card controversy

15:20 , Alan Smith

A reminder that Ronaldo was sent off in his last competitive match for Portugal - against Ireland in a qualifying defeat in Dublin - but had the last two games of a three-match ban suspended by Fifa ... so he would not miss the start of this tournament.

He has since featured in friendlies - which have not quite gone swimmingly.

How to watch

15:10 , Alan Smith

Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on BBC 1, BBCiPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with coverage starting at 5:30pm BST.

Is Portugal v DR Congo on TV? How to watch World Cup 2026 match

Welcome to the Ronaldo and co show

15:00 , Alan Smith

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Portugal vs DR Congo with the Group K opener getting underway in Houston, Texas at 6pm BST or midday local time.

The attention will be on Cristiano Ronaldo for abundant obvious reasons - he will be the hero or villain in the next month depending on how far Portugal go.

Yet they do face a moderately difficult start to their campaign against a DR Congo side whose form guide suggests no shortage of hard work with a sprinkling of unpredictable talent.

It should be good fun and you can follow every meaningful kick right here.