Congo DR open World Cup against Portugal with €840m gap to bridge

Portugal wait, market value gap €840m

Your team takes the field against Portugal today, 12pm local time in the United States (1) (2). The numbers are stark. Portugal's squad is valued at roughly €845 million. Congo DR sit at about €5 million. That is an €840 million gap (2). Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, João Mário, Pepe, Rui Patrício, Portugal name a side stacked with Champions League experience (1). Your team does not need to out-value them, just outplay them for 90 minutes.

Jassim on the whistle

Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim has the match. He handled three games at Qatar 2022 and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final. A big-stage appointment for a big-stage game (1).

How your team got here

The journey was already a grind. The delegation spent 21 days in quarantine in Belgium before finally reaching the U.S. (1). Congo DR are back at a World Cup after decades away. The arrival itself, suits, flags, the whole delegation together, was the first win.

Fan reactions

Reddit lost its mind over the leopard-themed suits the squad wore on arrival. The photos went everywhere. Fans called it the best kit entrance of the tournament, and the kind of moment that makes the World Cup feel bigger than just football. Full thread here.