Portugal vs DR Congo Prediction & Picks - World Cup
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by Bradley Gibbs | in World Cup Picks
Portugal’s 2026 World Cup campaign will begin on Wednesday afternoon. The 2016 European champions will begin their journey with a game against D.R Congo.
Despite often having a team full of wonderfully gifted players, the Portuguese have never got their hands on the famous World Cup trophy, but in recent times, they’ve always competed, reaching the knockouts in four of the last five renewals, making it as far as the semis back in 2026. The D.R. Congo boys have never played at the World Cup with the nation in its current form, so this will be a first.
Betting wise, ‘Portugal to Win & Under 3.5 Goals’ catches the eye. Make no mistake about it, the men coached by Roberto Martinez should be too good, but they won’t want to go all guns blazing early doors, while they’re up against a team that doesn’t concede too many goals.
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Portugal vs DR Congo Form
Portugal and DR Congo Latest Matches
4/6 (67%)
1/6 (17%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Jun 10, 2026 - International Friendlies
Jun 6, 2026 - International Friendlies
Mar 31, 2026 - International Friendlies
Mar 28, 2026 - International Friendlies
Nov 16, 2025 - World Cup
Nov 13, 2025 - World Cup
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
0/6 (0%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Jun 10, 2026 - International Friendlies
Jun 6, 2026 - International Friendlies
Nov 16, 2025 - World Cup
Oct 14, 2025 - World Cup
Oct 11, 2025 - World Cup
Jun 8, 2025 - UEFA Nations League
4/6 (67%)
1/6 (17%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Mar 31, 2026 - International Friendlies
Mar 28, 2026 - International Friendlies
Nov 13, 2025 - World Cup
Sep 9, 2025 - World Cup
Sep 6, 2025 - World Cup
Jun 4, 2025 - UEFA Nations League
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Jun 9, 2026 - International Friendlies
Jun 3, 2026 - International Friendlies
Mar 31, 2026 - World Cup
Jan 6, 2026 - AFCON
Dec 30, 2025 - AFCON
Dec 27, 2025 - AFCON
4/6 (67%)
0/6 (0%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Jun 9, 2026 - International Friendlies
Mar 31, 2026 - World Cup
Dec 23, 2025 - AFCON
Dec 16, 2025 - International Friendlies
Oct 14, 2025 - World Cup
Sep 9, 2025 - World Cup
2/6 (33%)
3/6 (50%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Jun 3, 2026 - International Friendlies
Jan 6, 2026 - AFCON
Dec 30, 2025 - AFCON
Dec 27, 2025 - AFCON
Nov 16, 2025 - World Cup
Nov 13, 2025 - World Cup
Portugal - DR Congo: Form Analysis
Ranked as the fifth-best in the world, the Portuguese head into this competition off the back of some pleasing results. They began 2026 with a slightly subdued tie against the Mexicans but have since stepped on the gas, beating another of the co-hosts (USA) by two goals to zero back in April, before defeating Chile 2-1. That victory against the South Americans was followed by a 2-1 win against Nigeria. They haven’t been perfect, but they know how to grind out results, which is key at major tournaments.
They haven’t been perfect, but they know how to grind out results, which is key at major tournaments.
D.R. Congo have not flourished in the build up to this World Cup, not at all. Sure, they made it through that final play-off against the Jamaicans, but they weren’t exactly impressive in doing so, and they’ve since struggled to get going, especially in the final third. Sebastien Desabre’s men held Denmark to a 0-0 tie, which wasn’t bad, but they lost against a Chilean side that failed to qualify for this tournament last time out, which isn’t exactly a positive sign ahead of a big game against the Portuguese.
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Portugal & DR Congo Squad Analysis
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez picked what most people would consider to be his strongest Xi for the final warm-up game against Nigeria. We should see a similar lineup here. Veteran Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to spearhead an offense also containing Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes and Trincao. If anybody is likely to come in, then it’s Francisco Conceicao, who scored as a substitute most recently.
We should see a similar lineup here. Veteran Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to spearhead an offense also containing Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes and Trincao.
After his side delivered a decent display against the Danes, Sebastien Desabre mixed it up a little against Chile, but that didn’t exactly work, so he may revert to the lineup that kept a clean sheet in the penultimate warm-up fixture. Cedric Bakambu could be back in attack, while midfield all-rounder Edo Kayembe is expected to return to the starting XI.
Portugal - DR Congo Key Points
- Recently, Portugal beat Chile by two goals to one.
- Also recently, D.R. Congo lost to Chile by two goals to one.
- The Portuguese have won each of their last three games, all of which contained no more than three goals.
- Less than four goals have been scored in each of D.R. Congo's last 13 games.
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Our Portugal vs DR Congo Prediction
Roberto Martinez's men have the overall quality to win this game, and that's why they are sizable favorites. Having said that, maybe we shouldn't expect them to run riot here. For starters, they'll want to keep a bit in reserve for tougher tasks ahead, while the visitors aren't in the habit of giving away bags of goals.
If we consider the difference in quality between the two, in combination with the fact that Sebastien Desabre's men typically find themselves in low-scoring games, betting a on a relatively low-scoring win for the Portuguese appeals plenty at odds of +100
Our Portugal vs D.R. Congo Pick: Portugal to Win & Under 3.5 Goals.
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Portugal vs DR Congo match : Frequently asked questions
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
