Portugal v DR Congo – predictions and odds – 2026 World Cup (17 June 2026)

The reigning Nations League champions, Portugal, kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign against DR Congo in the United States, specifically at the NRG Stadium in Houston. The side managed by Spaniard Robert Martínez are among the favourites to go far in this World Cup and will be keen to make it clear from the very first match that they have come to what is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup with the intention of going all out.

In this opening match, Portugal should have little trouble securing their first three points. The gulf in quality between the Portuguese side and DR Congo is vast across all areas of the pitch. Furthermore, the African side knows that the crucial match for them in this group stage is against Uzbekistan, as a win there would give them a strong chance of qualifying for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams. In this fixture, the key is to avoid a heavy defeat.

Final score prediction

Portugal are so far superior in this match that anything other than a win for Robert Martínez’s side would be a huge surprise. Winning the Nations League against Spain has given the Portuguese side a huge confidence boost, and with players like Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, they must demonstrate their superiority to secure their first three points at the 2026 World Cup.

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Portugal to win

1.28

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‘Half-time and full-time result’ prediction

Given Portugal’s superiority, a real possibility is that Roberto Martínez’s side will take an early lead and go into the break ahead. If so, it is more than likely that they will also end up winning the match against DR Congo. Therefore, a very attractive market to bet on in this fixture is the result at half-time and full-time. Specifically, that Portugal lead at half-time and go on to win the match.

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Portugal to lead at half-time and win the match

1.76

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‘Create Bet’ prediction

Finally, we have the option to create our own bet. In this case, we’ve opted to combine two options, as this gives us very attractive odds. On the one hand, we’ll choose Portugal to win by more than one goal, with a -1.5 handicap; on the other hand, that there will be over 2.5 goals throughout the match.

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Over 2.5 + Portugal handicap -1.5

2.50

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