Portugal start World Cup as storm threatens opener

Portugal open against DR Congo, storm looms

Your World Cup starts today. Portugal face DR Congo in the Group H opener, with kickoff set for this evening (1) (2). But the bigger story might be overhead. Authorities are bracing for intense rain and flash flooding in the area, and emergency plans are in place (3) (4). The stadium is covered, so the match itself is not at risk, but the buildup has been anything but smooth, a training session was already wiped out by a storm in Palm Beach earlier this week.

Jota tribute and a familiar referee

Every Portuguese player will wear a bracelet engraved with Diogo Jota's name, a gift from the Prime Minister. The 2025 loss still hangs over this squad. On the pitch, Qatar's Abdulrahman Al Jassim has the whistle, the same referee who sent off a young Rúben Dias at the 2017 U-20 World Cup.