Portugal will be attempting to win the one accolade that remains elusive for Cristiano Ronaldo’s impressive personal resume in what will likely be his final appearance at a World Cup. They will start things off against African qualifiers, DR Congo.

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Quick Picks

Our pick: Portugal to win

Value bet: Under 2.5 goals

Long shot: Portugal 2-0 Correct Score

Portugal vs DR Congo prediction

Given the star quality that Roberto Martinez has available to him, it’s not a real shock that Portugal have been made the big favourites pre-match in the moneyline for this game, as our Portugal vs Democratic Republic of the Congo betting odds page shows.

Indeed, DR Congo don’t have the best of World Cup records, having appeared once as Zaire back in 1974. They lost each of those three matches.

But times have changed. Sébastien Desabre’s side had a solid qualifying campaign, although they did need to qualify through the playoffs. They’ve some established players who have played in the top competitions, but not as many as Portugal, with many having been major champions at club level.

When we look at form, Portugal have three wins in their last five (1D, 1L), while the DR Congo also have three wins in their last five but with two draws; both draws were won on penalties to qualify for the tournament.

Still, we think Portugal will have enough about them to record a likely victory.

Portugal vs DR Congo score prediction

Portugal’s star power should see them through this encounter, although goals may be at a premium due to the defensive stability and rigidity the African nation has shown over recent encounters.

Including qualifiers, the 'Under 2.5 Goals' market has hit during regulation time in each of DR Congo's last five tournament matches.

They’ll want to keep things tight in the opening game, knowing that matches against Colombia and Uzbekistan could provide them with a better opportunity of getting points on the board.

With that said, Portugal may find that they don’t have to do too much defensively themselves, as they’ll likely have much of the ball.

The 'Both Teams to Score' market has failed to hit in each of DR Congo's three previous matches in this tournament, having failed to score in any of them. While that was back in 1974, Portugal have a defence and goalkeeper that is more than capable of keeping them out.

We think the Portugal 2-0 correct score offers good value worth exploring.

If you fancy backing Portugal across a few markets, it's worth reading up on how a multi bet works first, and have a squiz at the broader World Cup markets before you lock anything in.

Portugal vs DR Congo team news and line-ups

Predicted Portugal line-up (4-2-3-1): Diogo Costa, João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Roberto Martínez reported Cristiano Ronaldo had a minor injury requiring recovery time and admitted he was still weighing up his final XI, with the side built to press high and attack with the full-backs pushing on.

Predicted Democratic Republic of the Congo line-up (5-3-2): Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, Axel Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba, Steve Kapuadi, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Arthur Masuaku, Noah Sadiki, Samuel Moutoussamy, Ngal'ayel Mukau, Yoane Wissa, Cédric Bakambu.

Sébastien Desabre's side lean on a compact, well-drilled defensive block and look to hit on the counter, with no confirmed head coach officially listed heading into their World Cup appearance.

Portugal vs DR Congo head-to-head record

Portugal and Democratic Republic of the Congo have never met before, so this match is the first meeting between the two sides.

Player markets to watch

It’s almost impossible to ignore Cristiano Ronaldo in games like this. He scored five goals in qualifying, leading his nation once again. He is the only male player to have scored at five major tournaments in history, and will be looking to become the only to have scored at six.

In fact, he offers value to consider in the ‘To Score 2 or More Goals’ market, having netted a brace of two goals in two of his last five appearances for Portugal.

Alternative value in the anytime goalscorer could be in Bruno Fernandes, as he is coming off the back of a hat-trick against Armenia in their final qualifying match. He has been exceptional for Man Utd this season, particularly in assist creation (21), but he still had nine goals himself.

Should DR Congo find a way through to goal, Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa is perhaps the most likely to find the back of the net.

The forward didn’t have the best of debut campaigns for his new club, scoring just once, but he scores almost once in every four games for his country, including two in his last five.

Portugal vs DR Congo Match Details

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026.

Kick-off: 3:00am AEST.

Location: Houston Stadium, Houston.

Where to watch: Sportsbet, SBS.

Where to Watch Portugal vs DR Congo

For the first time ever, Sportsbet is offering punters the chance to stream World Cup matches live*.

To watch Sportsbet's live streams of the World Cup, you must:

- Be 18+.

- Have a Sportsbet account.

- Be logged into your Sportsbet account.

- Have a positive balance OR have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.

World Cup streaming is available both in-app and on-web. As long as you meet the above requirements, you'll be able to tune in on your computer, tablet or phone.

To access the stream for Portugal vs Democratic Republic of the Congo simply find your way to the official betting page for this match. Or, if you have a bet on the game you can watch from your "My Bets" section.

Traditional World Cup broadcaster SBS is also showing every World Cup match, meaning you can also watch Portugal vs Democratic Republic of the Congo on either SBS, SBS Viceland or SBS On Demand.

*18+ Available to Sportsbet customers only. Conditions apply – see sportsbet.com.au