Portugal national football team started the World Cup 2026 with a draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The result left the team with one of the worst starts ever and at the level of the 'disaster' of 12 years ago, with Paulo Bento. In the third time in its history that it was eliminated in the group stage, the national team entered with a suffered defeat against Germany, with Pepe expelled. Coach Roberto Martínez seeks to avoid the repetition of that disaster. The team led by coach Roberto Martínez also 'imitated' the starts of 2002, 2010 and 2018, when the Portuguese team failed to win. In 2002, in South Korea and Japan, Portugal was surprised by the United States in the first game, but responded with a 4-0 win over Poland, with a 'hat-trick' by Pauleta. The Portuguese delegation, led by António Oliveira, went home early, after losing 1-0 to the host South Korea. In South Africa, with Carlos Queiroz, a similar scenario occurred in 2010, but with a draw against the Ivory Coast, which the Portuguese team responded with a 7-0 win over North Korea, with a 'bis' by Tiago. The campaign ended in the round of 16, with a defeat by 1-0 against the champion Spain. In 2018, in Russia, Portugal's Fernando Santos, who came to the competition with the status of European champion, entered with a 3-3 draw against Spain, with a historic 'hat-trick' by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese team faces Uzbekistan on June 23, again in Houston, at the NRG Stadium, with a scheduled start at 12:00 local time. The group will be closed on June 27, with Portugal facing Colombia in Miami, in a game that starts at 19:30. After the first round, Colombia leads Group K with three points, followed by Portugal and DR Congo, both with one, while Uzbekistan still has zero. The World Cup 2026 will run until July 19, the day of the final, in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Portugal seeks to improve its performance to avoid early elimination. The team has a challenge ahead, but with the experience of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, it can surprise the opponents. The Portuguese fans hope that the national team can recover and advance to the next stages of the World Cup 2026. Portugal's next match is crucial to its chances of advancing. The team must win to stay in the competition. The players are focused on the task at hand and are ready to give their all to achieve victory.