Portugal vs DR Congo
Being based in the British Isles, I have grown up seeing the combination of passion and expectation (even when unrealistic) that the national media has for the England football team. I’ve also long witnessed a small section of the ‘press pack’ holding a grudge and looking for a scapegoat when things haven’t gone as they hoped.
Never has this been more apparent than in the summer of 2006 when Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal knocked out England at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup 2026.
Still reeling from an exit at the same stage of the European Championships to the same opponents two years earlier, some of the scribes could not handle their disappointment any more and tried to apportion blame – again!
This time it was Ronaldo who was in their sights and, according to a few, his role in England being reduced to 10 men was to blame for their exit – never mind that three English players could not find the net in the penalty shoot-out following a goalless draw.
How I was pleased then and how I’m amused now – 20 years on – that such bitterness and lack of realism still exists.
The latest came last week when I read an article in the BBC which suggested that the Portuguese national team would be better without their captain this summer.
Now Ronaldo may not be the force he was once was – show me a 41 year-old athlete who is – but the fact he is still influencing games on the big stage tells you everything you need to know about his enduring class.
This will naturally be his final World Cup but, make no mistake, the man for the big occasion is exactly what the Selecao requires over the next month or so.
Successive international managers have selected him because he performs, not because he is one of the greatest players of all time.
The disrespect in England may be evident (by the way, he has won more in his international career than England have in their entire history) but Portugal know better and, as they prepare for their Group K opener against Congo, he will once again lead out the troops.
Talking Points
That is fully warranted, of course.
During the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, he finished as the national team’s top scorer with five goals, helping Portugal clinch their spot with ease. He was also the driving force behind Al-Nassr’s recent Saudi Pro League triumph, leading the team in scoring with 28 goals and two assists.
Trying to prevent them from early World Cup 2026 highlights on Wednesday are DR Congo who have been waiting for more than half a century for this moment.
The last time they qualified was when they were still known as Zaire, becoming the first sub-Saharan African nation to qualify for the finals. However, in the 1974 edition of the tournament, the Leopards lost all three group matches against Scotland, Yugoslavia, and Brazil with an embarrassing aggregate tally of 0-14.
I don’t think there will be a repeat as this time the Leopards have players who will be well known to a wider audience such as veteran attacker Cédric Bakambu, Yoane Wissa, one-time Man Utd prospect Axel Tuanzebe and wing-backs Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (an FA Cup winner with Utd two years ago and recently relegated from the Premier League with West Ham).
Following a knee injury and a disrupted first season at Newcastle, Wissa arrives at the World Cup carrying huge expectations.
It’s not been an ideal build-up to their first World Cup adventure for 52 years.
An Ebola outbreak in their homeland and a 21-day isolation period imposed by the US authorities led to the players and staff forming a bubble in Belgium, playing one friendly against Denmark and being forced to cancel a scheduled meeting with Chile in Cádiz.
They have adapted though and, under coach Sébastien Desabre, discipline has been a watchword as the Frenchman has imposed structure which, respectfully, their counterparts in 1974 did not have.
They will hope to bring style to the tournament after receiving a wonderful welcome upon arriving in the States.
Yes, this is a step up in quality and that will likely be reflected in the final scoreline but, in many ways, without lacking ambition, the fact DR Congo are here is a triumph in itself.
History
This will be the first ever meeting between the nations.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP World Cup 2026 betting odds are as one-sided as you’d expect, though if you back Congo to cause an almighty shock, then how about you go for 1X2 @ 9.60 or Asian Handicap +1.25 @ 2.33.
Portugal are very much odds-on to launch their World Cup campaign with victory.
This includes 1X2 @ 1.29 and Asian Handicap -1.75 @ 2.13 and -2.00 @ 2.53.
I expect plenty of goals and have considered over 3.25 @ 2.49 and total goal 4-6 @ 2.80, rather than 0-1 @ 3.88.
A safe punter may go for Half Time Full Time Home Home @ 1.84 but where’s the fun in that so I’m plumping for Asian Handicap Portugal -2.00 @ 2.58 as a *** tip.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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