Coluna do Fla
·17 June 2026
Predictions, line-ups and more for Portugal v Congo

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·17 June 2026

The World Cup is in full swing, and this Wednesday (17), the Group K teams take the field. The first match of the day is Portugal vs Congo, with kickoff at 2:00 PM (Brasília time) at Houston Stadium in the United States.
As the current Nations League champions, the Portugal national team arrives at the World Cup as one of the favorites to win the title. In addition to Cristiano Ronaldo, the great star and biggest name in the history of Portuguese football, the team features standouts such as Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, and Bruno Fernandes.
That said, Portugal is the clear favorite for the match against Congo, with 1.27 odds at EsportivaBet.
CLICK HERE AND GET THE BEST ODDS FOR A PORTUGAL WIN AGAINST CONGO
At EsportivaBet, new users will have access to 16.00 odds for a Cristiano Ronaldo goal. In other words, if Cristiano Ronaldo scores, the wager pays out 16 times the amount staked. Meanwhile, existing users have options such as a draw at 5.50 odds. For those going for the upset, a Congo win has 11.00 odds.
Portugal’s main player is forward Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr (SAU). Wearing the No. 7 shirt and captaining the team, CR7 is chasing the World Cup title for the first time. It is worth noting that, at 41 years old, this is the Portuguese star’s sixth World Cup appearance.
Currently, Portugal does not rely exclusively on Cristiano Ronaldo. That is because the squad includes established stars in Europe’s top leagues, such as Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Rafael Leão, and Nuno Mendes. In addition, the Portugal national team has extra motivation in tribute to forward Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident, bringing the squad together under the motto “26 + 1”.
Currently, the biggest prospect and standout for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is 29-year-old Yoane Wissa. One of the main references in attack, the forward is skillful and has refined technique. It is no surprise that Newcastle (ENG) paid around R$ 400 million to sign him from Brentford (ENG) last season.
In addition to the forward, right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham (ENG) gives Congo top-level experience and defensive consistency. On the other hand, center back Chancel Mbemba of Lille (FRA) is the enforcer and main leader of the Congolese national team’s defensive system.
Diogo Costa; João Cancelo, Tomás Araújo, Gonçalo Inácio and Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, João Felix and Cristiano Ronaldo.Head coach: Roberto Martínez.
Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe and Masuaku; Sadiki; Wissa, Moutoussamy, Mukau and Meschak Elia; Bakambu.Head coach: Sébastien Desabre.
In short, the match between Portugal and Congo, valid for the first round of the World Cup group stage, will be broadcast exclusively by CazéTV via YouTube. Coluna do Fla, meanwhile, is following all the World Cup information on social media and on its website.
*This publication contains sponsored content about sports betting, which is only permitted for people over 18 years old. **Betting is not an investment. Gamble responsibly.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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