The Congo DR World Cup 2026 campaign holds historic significance to players and fans alike. The 2026 World Cup bid is the second since 1974 but the first for DR Congo. In their first World Finals, the Leopards went by the name Zaire.
The Congo DR World Cup 2026 team brings more than just a different name. They seek to erase their 1974 World Cup run, which led to frequent comments that they are ‘the worst World Cup team’. Catch all the latest news, squad updates, results, fixtures, and standings of the Congo DR World Cup 2026 run on SportPesa.
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DR Congo national team profile overview
| Country of origin | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Official team name | DR Congo |
| Nickname | Les Léopards, meaning the Leopards |
| Confederation | CAF, the Confederation of African Football |
| Head Coach | Sébastien Desabre |
| Captain | Chancel Mbemba |
| All-time top scorer | Dieumerci Mbokani– 47 international goals |
| World Cup appearances | 2– in 1974 and 2026 |
| Best World Cup finish | Group stage in 1974 |
| Pre-World Cup FIFA ranking | 56th |
| Home Stadium | Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa |
DR Congo World Cup 2026 qualification
DR Congo qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 win over Jamaica in the Intercontinental Playoff Tournament in Mexico. This DR Congo World Cup qualification came after they finished second to Senegal in the CAF World Cup qualifier Group B, which led them to the African playoffs. A penalty shootout win over Nigeria secured them a place in the Intercontinental Playoffs, where they made DR Congo World Cup history by qualifying for their first World Finals in 52 years.
DR Congo World Cup 2026 group
DR Congo began their World Cup campaign in Group K. The DR Congo World Cup group also included Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia. Colombia qualified for the round of 32 as group winners, Portugal as runners-up, and DR Congo as one of the best third-ranked teams.
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup Groups 2026 | SportPesa Global
DR Congo World Cup 2026 fixtures and match schedule
View all the Congo DR World Cup 2026 fixtures on SportPesa. The table below outlines DR Congo’s fixtures.
| Date | Stage | Match | Venue | Kick-off Time |
| 1 July | Round of 32 | England vs DR Congo | Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA | 16:00 GMT |
DR Congo results at FIFA World Cup 2026
Stay updated on the latest Congo DR World Cup results on our pages. The table below shows the latest results from DR Congo’s World Cup matches.
| Date | Stage | Match | Venue | Result |
| 17 June 2026 | Group K | Portugal vs DR Congo | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada | Portugal 1–1 DR Congo |
| 23 June 2026 | Group K | Colombia vs DR Congo | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | Colombia 1–0 DR Congo |
| 27 June 2026 | Group K | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA | DR Congo 3–1 Uzbekistan |
DR Congo World Cup 2026 table and standings
Get the complete DR Congo World Cup standings on SportPesa, including the points, goal stats and group matches played outlined in the table below.
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Colombia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| 2 | Portugal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 5 |
| 3 | DR Congo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 |
| 4 | Uzbekistan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 0 |
DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad
Head Coach Sébastien Desabre unveiled the DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad on May 18 2026. Chancel Mbemba captains the roster, which is dominated by Europe-based talent such as Yoane Wissa and Cédric Bakambu. Below is the full squad table.
| No. | Player | Position | Club | Height | Weight |
| 1 | Lionel Mpasi | Goalkeeper | Le Havre | 183 cm | 78 kg |
| 16 | Timothy Fayulu | Goalkeeper | FC Noah | 193 cm | 83 kg |
| 21 | Matthieu Epolo | Goalkeeper | Standard Liège | 185 cm | 74 kg |
| 2 | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Defender | West Ham United | 183 cm | 72 kg |
| 3 | Steve Kapuadi | Defender | Widzew Łódź | 196 cm | 87 kg |
| 4 | Axel Tuanzebe | Defender | Burnley | 185 cm | 73 kg |
| 5 | Dylan Batubinsika | Defender | AEL Larissa | 188 cm | 78 kg |
| 12 | Joris Kayembe | Defender | Racing Genk | 183 cm | 73 kg |
| 15 | Rocky Bushiri | Defender | Hibernian | 185 cm | 78 kg |
| 22 | Chancel Mbemba (Captain) | Defender | Lille | 183 cm | 81 kg |
| 24 | Gédéon Kalulu | Defender | Aris Limassol | 178 cm | 78 kg |
| 26 | Arthur Masuaku | Defender | Racing Lens | 178 cm | 78 kg |
| 6 | Ngal’ayel Mukau | Midfielder | Lille | 185 cm | 68 kg |
| 8 | Samuel Moutoussamy | Midfielder | Atromitos | 175 cm | 72 kg |
| 10 | Théo Bongonda | Midfielder | Spartak Moscow | 178 cm | 73 kg |
| 11 | Gaël Kakuta | Midfielder | AEL Larissa | 173 cm | 63 kg |
| 14 | Noah Sadiki | Midfielder | Sunderland | 173 cm | 58 kg |
| 18 | Charles Pickel | Midfielder | Espanyol | 188 cm | 76 kg |
| 25 | Edo Kayembe | Midfielder | Watford | 183 cm | 77 kg |
| 7 | Nathanaël Mbuku | Forward | Montpellier | 170 cm | 63 kg |
| 9 | Simon Banza | Forward | Al Jazira | 188 cm | 77 kg |
| 13 | Meschack Elia | Forward | Alanyaspor | 173 cm | 67 kg |
| 17 | Cédric Bakambu | Forward | Real Betis | 183 cm | 73 kg |
| 19 | Fiston Mayele | Forward | Pyramids FC | 185 cm | 73 kg |
| 20 | Yoane Wissa | Forward | Newcastle United | 175 cm | 73 kg |
| 23 | Brian Cipenga | Forward | CD Castellón | 173 cm | 68 kg |
ALSO READ: DR Congo unveil squad for historic 2026 FIFA World Cup return
DR Congo World Cup 2026 kit and sponsors
DR Congo World Cup 2026 kits are made by Umbro. Four DR Congo World Cup 2026 jerseys are used. The home jersey is royal blue, patterned with a gradient leopard flame toward the bottom and red lines at the crew neck and cuffs. The away jersey is white with blue accents on the side panels and a geometric diamond pattern on the lower half. The third kit is red with yellow leopard graphics around the shoulders. The goalkeeper’s jersey is green with blue side panels.
DR Congo World Cup 2026 coaches and technical bench
Frenchman Sébastien Desabre has led the DR Congo national football team players since August 8 2022. He prefers an attacking 4-3-3 tactic that can rapidly shift to defensive solidity for unpredictability. He is aided by the technical team below:
| Name | Role | Nationality |
| Sébastien Desabre | Head Coach | France |
| Rafael Hamidi Cuadros | Assistant Coach | Spain |
| Robert Kidiaba Muteba | Goalkeeping Coach | DR Congo |
| Corentin Jourdan | Match Analyst | France |
| Médard Lusadusu | Technical Director | DR Congo |
| Christian Nsengi-Biembe | Sporting Director | DR Congo |
| Hérita Ilunga | Director of Football | DR Congo |
| Cédric D’Antonio | Physiotherapist | France |
DR Congo World Cup 2026 stats
Download SP Score for accurate DR Congo FIFA World Cup 2026 stats. This table outlines the latest stats for DR Congo at the World Cup, including appearances, goals, assists, clean sheets, and discipline.
| Player | Position | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Clean Sheets | Yellow Cards |
| Yoane Wissa | Forward | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fiston Mayele | Forward | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lionel Mpasi | Goalkeeper | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chancel Mbemba | Defender | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Defender | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arthur Masuaku | Defender | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Axel Tuanzebe | Defender | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Kapuadi | Defender | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dylan Batubinsika | Defender | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joris Kayembe | Defender | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Sadiki | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Charles Pickel | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Samuel Moutoussamy | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Edo Kayembe | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ngal’ayel Mukau | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Théo Bongonda | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Meschack Elia | Forward | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cédric Bakambu | Forward | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Simon Banza | Forward | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathanaël Mbuku | Forward | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Can DR Congo reach the round of 16?
DR Congo is the underdog in their matchup against England, with the winner qualifying for the round of 16. DR Congo’s run is already a success, judging by Zaire’s 1974 performance. To upset the Three Lions, the Leopards will need to be in top form. They will also need to capitalise on the loss of intensity that afflicts England in some matches.
Bet on Congo DR knockout stage matches on SportPesa.
DR Congo latest news and updates
Noah Sadiki, Chancel Mbemba and Yoan Wissa are some of the key players powering DR Congo’s World Cup run. The three are certain to feature in the lineup against England and any resulting knockout-round matches. Because the knockout rounds feature a succession of quality opponents, the England match will be a telling sign of the Leopards’ form.
ALSO READ: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: Wissa’s brace fires DR Congo into historic World Cup knockout stage
FAQs on Congo DR World Cup 2026
What is FIFA’s decision on Congo?
FIFA rejected Nigeria’s protest that DR Congo’s squad featured players who did not meet eligibility criteria. FIFA also fined the Nigerian Football Federation and the Congolese Association Football Federation for spectator misconduct.
How many times has DR Congo been in the World Cup?
DR Congo has qualified for the World Cup twice, in 1974 and 2026. They played in the 1974 World Cup as Zaire.
Is DR Congo a good football team?
DR Congo has proved to be one of the best teams in Sub-Saharan Africa. The team consistently outperforms expectations in international matches.
Conclusion
The Congo DR World Cup 2026 squad is playing for a bigger cause. The Leopards hope this World Cup run will lead more people to care about the fate of DR Congo. This is a worthy goal for a team that consistently works for better results. Get all Congo DR World Cup 2026 updates on SportPesa.