Congo Score Their First-Ever World Cup Goal, a Landmark Moment in Team History

Updated: 2026-06-19 | Real-time data is subject to official announcements.

This goal was 52 years in the making for the fans of Congo (Democratic Republic). In the Group K opener held in Houston on 17 June 2026, DR Congo drew 1-1 with Portugal, as forward Yoane Wissa scored the team’s first-ever goal at a World Cup finals in first-half stoppage time, also earning the side its first World Cup point in history. For a team that had not set foot on the World Cup stage again after first qualifying in 1974, the weight of this moment is not hard to imagine.

It was actually Portugal who struck first. In the 6th minute, João Neves timed his run perfectly and headed home to give Portugal a 1-0 lead. This was also Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut at the 2026 World Cup, and Portugal initially looked to be in control. The turning point came in first-half stoppage time, in the 45+5th minute: Arthur Masuaku delivered a cross, and Wissa rose high to head it in, levelling the score at 1-1. Portugal kept up the pressure in the second half but were never able to score again, ultimately having to accept being held to a draw.

Having watched the whole match myself, my feeling is that DR Congo’s fighting spirit is well worth Canadian fans’ attention. They share Group K with Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan; after the first round, Colombia sat top of the group thanks to a stoppage-time goal that beat Uzbekistan, while Portugal surprisingly dropped points. This means there is plenty of uncertainty in the fixtures ahead, and the qualification picture in Group K is still wide open. To get the full set of matchups and times, you can refer to our compiled complete World Cup schedule and group information.

If you want to watch the rest of the Group K matches in Canada, remember to confirm the broadcast arrangements of your local TV channels and streaming platforms. The time zones and kick-off times differ between cities such as Vancouver and Toronto, so it’s safer to check ahead. For broadcast channels and viewing options, you can refer to the Canada viewing guide and broadcast lookup. The scores, goals and schedule in this article are compiled from public reports; should there be any official corrections later, the official FIFA announcement shall prevail.