DR Congo at the FIFA World Cup 2026

History

DR Congo's sole previous World Cup appearance came in 1974 under the name Zaire, making them the first Sub-Saharan African team to participate in the tournament. That campaign ended without a point: they lost 0-2 to Scotland, 0-9 to Yugoslavia, and 0-3 to Brazil. The 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia remains one of the heaviest losses in World Cup history. Zaire won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1968 and had qualified as African champions in 1974. The 2026 tournament is their return to the World Cup after a 52-year absence.

Qualification

DR Congo qualified through a lengthy multi-stage route. They finished second in CAF Group B (behind Senegal), then advanced through the CAF playoffs by defeating Cameroon 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal from captain Chancel Mbemba. They then beat Nigeria in the CAF playoff final to reach the inter-confederation play-off. At that stage, they defeated Jamaica 1-0 after extra time in the final match, with Axel Tuanzebe scoring the only goal in the 100th minute. DR Congo were confirmed as the 48th and final team to qualify for the 2026 tournament.

Preparation

DR Congo's preparation was disrupted by an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, forcing the cancellation of a planned training camp in Kinshasa. The team, whose 26 selected players all play for European clubs, relocated their training camp to Liege, Belgium. Warm-up friendlies are scheduled against Denmark in Liege on June 3 and against Chile in southern Spain on June 9. Despite the logistical disruption, coach Sebastien Desabre confirmed the squad would proceed with the preparation schedule unchanged. US authorities had warned DR Congo it risked being barred from entry unless the delegation observed a 21-day isolation period in Europe before arriving for the tournament. On 27 May 2026, following a videoconference between FECOFA president Veron Mosengo-Omba and senior FIFA representatives, FIFA and FECOFA confirmed the Congolese delegation complies with all US health and safety requirements, clearing the team's participation in the 2026 World Cup. Staff who left Kinshasa on 20 May committed to a minimum 21-day European stay before entering the United States. The squad gathered at the Liege training base over the following days, and by 30 May coach Sebastien Desabre was working with most of the group; the last arrivals were Aaron Wan-Bissaka (after relegated West Ham's season ended), Theo Bongonda (finalising his Spartak Moscow exit) and Bryan Cipenga (held back by a Castellon league fixture, expected last on Sunday 31 May), completing the 26-man group before the friendlies. The Denmark warm-up on 3 June is confirmed for the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in Liege, with over 17,000 tickets sold.

Squad

Recent results

• 2023-11-15 — COD 2-0 MTN (qualification)
• 2023-11-19 — SDN 1-0 COD (qualification)
• 2024-01-06 — COD 0-0 ANG (friendly)
• 2024-01-10 — COD 1-2 BFA (friendly)
• 2024-06-06 — SEN 1-1 COD (qualification)
• 2024-06-09 — COD 1-0 TOG (qualification)
• 2025-03-21 — COD 1-0 SSD (qualification)
• 2025-03-25 — MTN 0-2 COD (qualification)
• 2025-06-05 — COD 1-0 MLI (friendly)
• 2025-06-08 — COD 3-1 MAD (friendly)
• 2025-09-05 — SSD 1-4 COD (qualification)
• 2025-09-09 — COD 2-3 SEN (qualification)
• 2025-10-10 — TOG 0-1 COD (qualification)
• 2025-10-14 — COD 1-0 SDN (qualification)
• 2025-11-13 — CMR 0-1 COD (qualification)
• 2025-11-16 — NGA 1-1 COD (qualification)
• 2026-03-25 — BER 0-2 COD (friendly)
• 2026-03-31 — COD 1-0 JAM (qualification)