Portugal needed just six minutes to take the lead in their 2026 World Cup opener as Joao Neves gave them an early lead against DR Congo.The 2026 World Cup could be the last for Cristiano Ronaldo, though he has intimated a desire to feature at the 2030 tournament, and will be Roberto Martinezs last as Portugal boss.Martinez will be looking to go out on a high and will be delighted with the start his side made in Houston.Portugal dominated possession in the early going, and were rewarded as Neves rose to head Pedro Netos left-wing cross beyond helpless DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.In scoring at the age of 21 years and 263 says, Neves became the third-youngest Portuguese scorer at a World Cup, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder trailing only Ronaldo in 2006 (21 years, 132 days) and Gonalo Ramos in 2022 (21 years, 169 days). Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup DR Congo national football team Portugal National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read LIVE Portugal v DR Congo: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Ronaldo makes World Cup entrance Jon Fisher 17th June, 2026 World Cup 2026 live: Portugal vs DR Congo confirmed teams as Cristiano Ronaldos country start finals, full line ups, TV channel, live online stream and stats Nicholas McGee 17th June, 2026 Czechia v South Africa: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and preview, TV channel, live online stream and prediction Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full Portugal squad Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Emotional Lionel Messi talks Ronaldo and Mbappe: Im enjoying this Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Kylian Mbappe: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full France squad Ben Miller 17th June, 2026
