Portugal vs Congo DR Preview: Ronaldo's World Cup Send-Off Begins Here

Last updated 10 June 2026. Right, we are one week out from Portugal kicking off their World Cup 2026 campaign and honestly... the vibes are immense. Portugal vs Congo DR, Wednesday 17 June, 5pm UK time. Group stage football. Sunshine. The beautiful game on the biggest stage. Let's get into it.

The Big Picture

Look, the bookmakers have made their feelings very clear on this one. Portugal are priced around 1.25 to win. That is short. That is very, very short. You know what 1.25 means? It means the bookies reckon Portugal win this game roughly 80% of the time before you even factor in the margin. Congo DR to win? You are looking at anywhere between 9/1 and 13.5/1 depending on where you shop. The draw sits around 5/1 to 6/1.

Now I know what you are thinking. Jay, just back Portugal and move on with your life. And look... maybe. But I have been doing this long enough to know that tournament football in the group stage is weird. Teams are feeling each other out. Managers are being cautious. Star players are being managed. Nothing is ever as simple as the price suggests.

That said. It is Portugal. At a World Cup. With that squad. So yeah.

Portugal: The Favourites and Their Baggage

Portugal come into this tournament as genuine contenders to go all the way. The squad depth is extraordinary right now, arguably the best generation they have ever assembled when you look beyond the obvious. Bruno Fernandes pulling strings in midfield. Vitinha controlling tempo. bernardo-silva" class="entity-link entity-link--player">Bernardo Silva doing Bernardo Silva things. Rafael Leao providing the electric pace out wide.

And then there is the elephant in the room. Or rather, the elephant who scores goals and posts Instagram content. You know who I mean. How Ronaldo fits into Roberto Martinez's setup at this point in the tournament is genuinely one of the most fascinating subplots of the whole World Cup. Does he start? Almost certainly in the group stage. Does he still have it at this level? I reckon we find out pretty quickly.

Look at the fixtures for Portugal and this is actually a dream opener. A winnable game to build momentum, get combinations clicking, and give the whole squad confidence before tougher tests arrive. Martinez will want a performance here, not just a result. Expect Portugal to be on the front foot from the whistle.

One thing worth noting. No injuries flagged in the data at this stage which is great news. Seven days out and the squad looks healthy. That can change in a blink at tournament level but right now, no concerns.

Congo DR: Respect Where It's Due

Right, let me say something clearly. Congo DR qualifying for this World Cup is a proper achievement. African football has been growing at a serious rate and the DR Congo side have some real quality. This is not a team that showed up just to make the numbers. They qualified through one of the most competitive confederations in world football.

Honestly the lack of form data and head-to-head history in the database reflects the fact that these two sides have barely crossed paths at this level. This is relatively uncharted territory. And that slight unknown factor is what makes me nervous about going too heavy on any individual market.

What I do know about Congo DR is that they can be physically aggressive, tactically disciplined, and absolutely capable of making a match ugly if they need to. If they sit in a low block and frustrate Portugal for an hour... look, it is a World Cup group game. Stranger things have happened. Much stranger.

The Goals Market: Where the Real Interest Is

Over 2.5 goals is sitting at around 1.67. Under 2.5 at 2.14. Those are the numbers from Casumo, Grosvenor, and LeoVegas, which is the only totals data we have available right now.

Honestly? I like the over. And I will tell you why. Portugal are not built to be conservative. They have attackers who want to express themselves and a manager who encourages that. Even if Congo DR defend deep, the individual quality in this Portugal squad is good enough to break almost anyone down. Three goals in this game feels very achievable for Portugal alone.

The interesting question is whether Congo DR nick one. BTTS at a World Cup group game against a defensively untested Portugal side... I am not completely ruling it out. But I am not chasing it either.

Jay's Prediction

Look, I am not going to sit here and pretend this is a close game. Portugal win. Comfortably. The question is just by how much.

I reckon Portugal get at least three, maybe four. Congo DR will have moments, might even get a chance or two, but the gulf in quality over ninety minutes should tell. Portugal 3-0 is probably the sensible shout. Portugal 4-1 is the fun shout. You know which one I am leaning towards for the acca.

I'm going big on this... Portugal to win and over 2.5 goals. Combine those two at around 1.67 for the over with the near certainty of a Portugal win baked in. Solid acca leg. Sensible. Responsible even. For me, that is basically unheard of.

If you want to be a bit spicier, Ronaldo anytime scorer has obvious appeal even at short odds. Stick him in a double or treble with other games to get some value back. You heard it here first.

The Saturday Special... On a Wednesday

Right so the World Cup has completely wrecked my weekly acca schedule and I am not even mad about it. I am building a midweek special around this one. Portugal win, over 2.5 goals in the match, and I am pairing it with another group game that kicks off the same day. The full details drop closer to the weekend card but keep an eye on the SportSignals feed.

Back to the drawing board after last week's near miss, by the way. Four from five legs came in. Four from five. The one leg that killed me... don't @ me.

Final Thought

Portugal should win this. The odds are short for a reason. But tournament football has a way of serving up madness when you least expect it, and Congo DR deserve their moment on the biggest stage in the game. Whatever happens, I will be watching. You should be too.

Wednesday 17 June. 5pm. Get the snacks in.