Congo DR team profile – FIFA World Cup 2026
In the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada and Mexico, we shine a spotlight on Congo DR.
FIFA World Ranking: 46
Confederation: CAF
Who is Congo DR’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026?
The head coach of Congo FR for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Sebastien Desabre. The Frenchman was in charge of Chamois Niortais before being appointed as DR Congo boss in August 2022.
Who is Congo DR’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Congo DR’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026 is former Newcastle United centre-back Chancel Mbemba, now of Lille. The 31-year-old defender made his Congo DR debut back in 2012 and has gone on to make over 100 caps for the Leopards.
How many times have Congo DR participated in a FIFA World Cup before 2026?
1 – 1974
What is Congo DR’s best performance at a FIFA World Cup?
Group Stage – 1974
How did Congo DR qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
It was a quite remarkable qualifying campaign for the Democratic Republic of Congo, as they came through a tough and arduous process to make their return after 52-years to the global stage at FIFA World Cup 2026.
Congo DR were drawn into Group B in the first round of CAF qualifying alongside an exceptionally strong Senegal, as well as a Sudan side that punched well above their weight for over half of the campaign.
Congo DR kept pace with Senegal throughout and looked as though they would secure top spot in September when they led 2-0 after over half an hour of their clash in Kinshasa, via goals from Cedric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa. However, they succumbed to a 3-2 loss and instead finished just two points short of Pape Thiaw’s experienced outfit.
That would have certainly given them the belief that they can match and even better the best on the continent and that was shown in their playoff semi-final as the aforementioned Mbemba scored a last-gasp winner to defeat Cameroon before a dramatic penalty shootout victory against a star-studded Nigeria in the final.
One of the players who missed a spot-kick in that playoff final was Burnley centre-back Axel Tuanzebe, and it was his header that saw them edge past Jamaica by a goal to nil in their Inter-Confederation Playoff final in Mexico on March 31, 2026 to book their spot at FIFA World Cup 2026.
Who are Congo DR’s star players?
The aforementioned striking duo of Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis) and Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United) have to be marked out as key men and potential difference makers for Congo DR in North America this summer.
At the back, alongside Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley) and Mbemba (Lille), there is a fair bit of experience, too, with right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United) likely to be absolutely pivotal to any success they go on to have.
There are some longer-term servants that have been stalwarts for Congo DR across the squad, such as Meschak Elia (Alanyaspor), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos) and Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), while Noah Sadiki (Sunderland) has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in the Premier League.
Who is in Congo DR’s group at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Portugal
Congo DR
Uzbekistan
Colombia
Congo DR’s Group K fixtures are as follows:
Portugal v Congo DR: Wednesday June 17, 1:00pm ET, 6:00pm UK
Colombia v Congo DR: Tuesday June 23, 10:00pm ET, 3:00am UK (Wednesday)
Congo DR v Uzbekistan: Saturday June 27, 7:30pm ET, 12:30am UK (Sunday)
All kick-off dates are based on a local kick-off time
Where is Congo DR’s base camp at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Houston Sports Park, Houston, Texas
Expert prediction for Congo DR’s chances at FIFA World Cup 2026
The duo of Bakambu and Wissa should mean that Congo DR set up in quite a defensive and controlled manner because they know that they always stand a chance of scoring with those two at their disposal.
Their performances against the best of African international football in qualification would suggest that they will be awkward to beat and an industrious midfield, headlined by Sadiki, should stand them in good stead, too.
It is not the easiest of groups, though, with Portugal and Colombia both believing they should go deep, while debutants Uzbekistan do bring an element of unpredictability.
They should be better than Uzbekistan though and their ‘hard-to-beat’ nature should mean their goal difference remains solid enough for them to at least get out of the group as one of the top eight third-place finishers, but with the quality of their side, any further progress isn’t expected.
What round will Congo DR reach at FIFA World Cup 2026? Round of 32
