Portugal opened its Group K campaign at the 2026 World Cup with a 1-1 draw against the Republic of the Congo in Houston, a result shaped by João Neves’s early strike and Yoane Wissa’s stoppage-time equalizer.
Neves put Portugal ahead in the sixth minute after Pedro Neto set him up, giving Portugal the start it wanted in its opening match of the tournament. But the lead did not survive to the break. Wissa levelled in the 45+5 minute, turning what had looked like a controlled first half into a match Portugal could not close out.
The draw leaves both Portugal and the Republic of the Congo on one point after the first round of Group K. That matters now because the opening round can quickly set the tone in a short group stage, and the next fixture will show whether Portugal can turn an early advantage into a result rather than leave points behind.
For Portugal, the frustration is not the goal it scored but the timing of the one it conceded. An early lead usually buys control, but Wissa’s equalizer changed the mood of the match and left Portugal with a point instead of the cushion it had built. The shift also kept the group tight before Colombia and Uzbekistan were scheduled to meet in Mexico City.
What comes next is straightforward and unforgiving: Portugal must respond in its next Group K match after dropping points in the opener. With both sides now level on one point, the first day of the group has already made the margin for error smaller than Portugal would have liked.
