Portugal and DR Congo meet in Houston on Wednesday, July 17 in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K fixture that pits one of the tournament's favourites against a side making a historic return to the world's biggest stage. Kick-off is at 6:00pm BST / 1:00pm ET.

How to watch Portugal vs DR Congo for free

Fans across multiple regions can watch the match at no cost. In the UK, the game is live on BBC One and available to stream via BBC iPlayer — a BBC account and valid UK postcode are required. Irish viewers can tune in on RTÉ Player, while Australian fans are covered by SBS On Demand, which is streaming every FIFA World Cup 2026 match free of charge. Other free options include CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

In the United States, the match is available on Fox, accessible through Fox One, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, Sling, or DirecTV.

Portugal: favourites with remarkable depth

Roberto Martinez — who guided Belgium to third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup — arrives in North America with a Portugal squad brimming with quality. The team reinforced their credentials last year by defeating Spain in the UEFA Nations League final, and they swept through qualifying by thrashing Armenia 9-1.

Much of the conversation ahead of this match centres on Cristiano Ronaldo, who is set to appear at a sixth FIFA World Cup. Yet it is the squad's midfield that may prove Portugal's most potent weapon. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, and Joao Neves give Martinez a technically gifted engine room capable of controlling possession and creating chances in equal measure.

That midfield quality allows Ronaldo to operate high up the pitch, with teammates doing much of the defensive legwork on his behalf — a dynamic that makes Portugal a particularly difficult side to contain.

DR Congo: history, resilience, and Bakambu

Head coach Sébastien Desabre brings deep knowledge of African football to this challenge. The 49-year-old has held 11 coaching roles on the continent and has already exceeded expectations simply by steering DR Congo to their first FIFA World Cup since 1974, when the nation competed under the name Zaire.

That 1974 appearance ended without a single goal scored, and the Leopards suffered a 9-0 defeat against Yugoslavia — a result that still looms large in the collective memory. Desabre has worked to ensure this edition of the team is built on defensive solidity, recording eight clean sheets in 13 qualifying matches.

Going forward, DR Congo rely heavily on the pace and movement of striker Cédric Bakambu, whose ability to exploit space in behind opposing defences offers their most direct route to goal. Their strategy — defend deep, stay compact, and strike on the counter — will be tested to its limits against Portugal's midfield machine.

DR Congo are not in Houston simply to make up the numbers. A first-ever FIFA World Cup goal, and perhaps even an upset, would mark a landmark moment for Congolese football.

Group K outlook

Portugal and DR Congo share Group K with Uzbekistan and Colombia. Portugal are expected to challenge for top spot, while DR Congo will hope their qualifying form translates to the tournament stage.

FourFourTwo predicts Portugal to win this encounter 2-0, with the depth and quality of their squad proving too much for DR Congo's resilient but outmatched defence.