TDThe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) delivered one of Africa’s most encouraging performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their Group K opener and securing a valuable point in the tournament.
Facing one of Europe’s football powerhouses, DR Congo displayed resilience and determination throughout the encounter.
They frustrated the Portuguese side and earned a result that could prove crucial in the race for qualification to the knockout stages.
The draw marked another positive result for African football at the tournament, even as the continent continues to search for its second victory.
For Wednesday’s matches, DR Congo and Ghana were Africa’s representatives.
While DR Congo successfully claimed a point against Portugal, Ghana was also in action as African nations sought to improve their standing in the competition.
The result means DR Congo joins a growing list of African teams that have managed to secure draws against highly rated opponents.
Earlier in the tournament:
- Morocco held Brazil to a 1-1 draw,
- Cape Verde earned a goalless draw against Spain, and,
- Egypt shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Belgium.
However, victories have been difficult to come by for Africa’s representatives.
As of June 17, Ivory Coast remains the only African nation to have recorded a win at the World Cup.
They defeated Ecuador 1-0 on June 14 in a memorable Group E encounter.
Other African teams have endured mixed fortunes.
- South Africa suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mexico,
- Tunisia fell 5-1 to Sweden,
- Senegal lost 3-1 to France, and,
- Algeria were beaten 3-0 by Argentina.
So far, Africa’s performances at the tournament have demonstrated both promise and challenges.
While several teams have secured impressive draws against some of the world’s top footballing nations, only Ivory Coast has managed to convert its efforts into a victory.
With group-stage matches continuing over the coming days, African supporters will be hoping that DR Congo’s strong showing against Portugal serves as inspiration for the continent’s remaining representatives as they seek to advance to the knockout rounds.
Current African results at the 2026 FIFA World Cup include:
- Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador (Win)
- Morocco 1-1 Brazil (Draw)
- Cape Verde 0-0 Spain (Draw)
- Egypt 1-1 Belgium (Draw)
- DR Congo 1-1 Portugal (Draw)
- South Africa 0-2 Mexico (Loss)
- Tunisia 1-5 Sweden (Loss)
- Senegal 1-3 France (Loss)
- Algeria 0-3 Argentina (Loss)
As the tournament progresses, Ivory Coast remains Africa’s sole winning nation.
Meanwhile, DR Congo’s hard-fought draw against Portugal stands out as one of the continent’s most significant results so far.
