{"id":1450261,"date":"2026-06-11T06:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T05:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=news&#038;p=1450261"},"modified":"2026-06-11T06:55:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T05:55:00","slug":"dr-congo-world-cup-2026-fixtures-squad-analysis","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/dr-congo-world-cup-2026-fixtures-squad-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"DR Congo World Cup 2026: Fixtures, key players and tactical analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\">DR Congo<\/a> will compete in the World Cup for the first time since 1974 when they played as Zaire after overcoming Jamaica in the inter-confederation playoffs in March.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a strong, experienced spine that includes a handful of established Premier League names such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Yoane Wissa, the Leopards could be set to spring a surprise or two on their long-awaited return to the tournament this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/portugal-world-cup-2026-odds\/\">Portugal<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/colombia-world-cup-2026-odds\/\">Colombia<\/a> among their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-2026-group-k-odds\/\">Group K<\/a> opponents, Sebastien Desabre&#8217;s men will have their work cut out from the off in the USA, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-route-to-the-world-cup\">DR Congo route to the World Cup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Placed in CAF qualifying Group B, the Leopards finished second behind Senegal with 22 points from 10 matches. That secured a place in the second round of African qualifying and kept their World Cup hopes alive. They upset the odds twice to reach the inter-confederation play-offs, firstly beating Cameroon 1-0 in Rabat in November. Six days later, they drew 1-1 with Nigeria before winning on penalties. That victory set up a clash with Jamaica in Zapopan. The Leopards progressed thanks to Axel Tuanzebe&#8217;s extra-time winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-world-cup-2026-fixtures\">DR Congo World Cup 2026 fixtures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Houston is the first destination for DR Congo at this summer&#8217;s World Cup. They face Cristiano Ronaldo&#8217;s Portugal on June 17 in an enticing opening fixture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, they return to Zapopan, where they won their play-off match. There, they will take on Colombia in their second group game. The Leopards finish the group stage against Uzbekistan in Atlanta. That appears to be their most winnable fixture on paper.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vcsw-sports-widgets shortcode vcsw-sports-fixtures\" id=\"sports_fixtures-1\"><script type=\"application\/json\">{\"sports_type\":\"football\",\"competition\":\"\",\"participant_id\":\"666cd7d3773e0180d8e90118\",\"start_date\":\"\",\"widget_type\":\"fixtures\",\"results\":false,\"groups\":\"\",\"stage\":\"\"}<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/dr-congo-world-cup-2026-odds\">Get the latest DR Congo World Cup 2026 outright odds here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-key-players-for-world-cup-2026\">DR Congo key players for World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-top-world-cup-golden-boot-contender-yoane-wissa\">DR Congo top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Yoane Wissa<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat: <\/strong>Yoane Wissa is first Congolese player to score 20 goals in a season in one of the top five European leagues since Shabani Nonda for Monaco in 2003\/04. He netted 20 times for Brentford in 2024\/25.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Yoane Wissa has endured a difficult, injury-hit first campaign at Newcastle United since his switch from Brentford. However, we&#8217;ve seen his ability prior to that switch and while he&#8217;s been less consistent for his country than Cedric Bakambu, his current ceiling is much higher than the 35 year old former Villarreal striker&#8217;s. Wissa has nine international goals to his name in 37 caps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-primary-playmaker-nathanael-mbuku\">DR Congo primary playmaker: <strong>Nathanael Mbuku<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat: <\/strong>Nathanael Mbuku created five chances, took five shots and completed five take-ons in just 224 minutes at Afcon 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>DR Congo will rely on the explosive directness of Nathanael Mbuku to create chances as they did at Afcon 2025. Having just spent a productive campaign on loan from Augsburg at Montpellier, the 24 year old will be hoping to showcase his talents this summer and state his case for featuring in the Bundesliga side&#8217;s first team next season. He attempted a cross every 22.4 minutes at Afcon. Expect him to look to deliver the ball from wide early for the likes of Wissa and Bakambu this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-card-magnet-amp-top-tackler-samuel-moutoussamy\"><strong>DR<\/strong> Congo card magnet &amp; top tackler: Samuel Moutoussamy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat: <\/strong>Midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy won 10 tackles in just 290 minutes at Afcon 2025<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Samuel Moutoussamy is usually selected as one of the key men in the DR Congo midfield. Having racked up 57 caps for his country, the hard-working midfielder won a tackle every 29 minutes at Afcon 2025. He&#8217;s not shy of picking up a card either, being shown one at Afcon and two in his final three games of the Greek Super League season with Atromitos. He&#8217;ll face a difficult task if he&#8217;s to stop the free-flowing attacks of Portugal and Colombia in the group stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-rising-star-ngal-ayel-mukau\">DR Congo rising star: Ngal&#8217;ayel Mukau<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat: <\/strong>Ngal&#8217;ayel Mukau scored a Champions League brace for Lille against Bologna before his 21st birthday back in November 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>21 year old Ngal&#8217;ayel Mukau is considered to be a key component of the future of this DR Congo team. Having made 30 appearances for Lille this season, he&#8217;s a rangy, ball-winning midfielder capable of pulling his team up the pitch with vertical running with relative experience on his side. He&#8217;s less known to English fans than DRC&#8217;s other talented youngster, Sunderland&#8217;s Noah Sadiki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>STAND-OUT STAT: <strong>DR Congo<\/strong> have had the joint-second longest wait between qualifying for the World Cup for the first time and second time with their only previous appearance coming in 1974 when they were known as Zaire. Wales are the only nation to have waited longer for a second appearance at the tournament.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DR Congo set-piece specialists<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Penalties: <\/strong>Cedric Bakambu, Yoane Wissa<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Free kicks: <\/strong>Yoane Wissa, Gael Kakuta<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Corners: <\/strong>Arthur Masuaku, Gael Kakuta<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-tactical-analysis-and-formation\">DR Congo tactical analysis and formation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-819x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1456491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-214x267.png 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-160x200.png 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-48x60.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-120x150.png 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo-59x74.png 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11064448\/DR-Congo.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Congo DR can switch between a 4-1-4-1 formation and a 4-3-3 formation and they have several attacking options who can help push them further up the pitch should they need to chase goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this DR Congo side will first focus on staying organised and outworking opponents. In midfield, Noah Sadiki and Samuel Moutoussamy provide energy, intensity and a strong desire to win. Yoane Wissa will hope to recover in time to make a major impact. He is likely to start on the left of the front three, while the evergreen Cedric Bakambu leads the attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Leopards also boast significant Premier League experience in defence. All four members of their expected backline have previously played in the English top flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-manager-analysis\">DR Congo manager analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Having never played at any serious level, Sebastien Desabre has enjoyed a fine coaching career in Africa. He has enjoyed spells with huge clubs like Wydad AC and Esperance de Tunis as well as spending two years in charge of Uganda between 2017 and 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 49 year old was appointed the Leopards coach back in 2022 and led his team to the semi-final of the 2023 Afcon tournament. Now, he has finally ended a long and painful wait to qualify for the World Cup. Unsurprisingly a highly popular figure amongst Congolese supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He prefers structured set-ups and tactical discipline over free-flowing football, but given the opponents that DRC are set to take on in group stages that may be the best way to set up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Coach<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th>P<\/th><th>W<\/th><th>D<\/th><th>L<\/th><th>Win %<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Sebastien Desabre<\/td><td>DR Congo<\/td><td>48<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>11<\/td><td>60.40%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dr-congo-world-cup-faqs\">DR Congo World Cup FAQs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Have DR Congo ever won the World Cup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No, DR Congo have never won the World Cup. They&#8217;ve only qualified once before in 1974 as Zaire when they were knocked out in the group stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where did DR Congo finish in the last World Cup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DR Congo failed to make it to the last World Cup. They finished top of their group in Round One of qualifying, before crashing out with a below-par performance in a 2-5 thumping from Morocco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who will be the DR Congo captain at the World Cup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former Newcastle United defender Chancel Mbemba, who has already racked up 107 caps at the age of 31, will captain his country again this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is DR Congo&#8217;s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In that 1974 tournament, DR Congo or Zaire as they were then known, failed to find the net, so the first goalscorer at this tournament for them will be the country&#8217;s first ever WC goalscorer. Former Norwich and Hull loanee Dieumerci Mbokani is the nation&#8217;s all-time top scorer ever with 22.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\"><strong>World Cup predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-outright-odds\/\"><strong>World Cup outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup-2026-fixtures-results\/\"><b>World Cup fixtures &amp; results<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/world-cup-2026-betting-offers\/\"><b>World Cup free bets<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-articles-list\">\n                    <h2 class=\"sq-heading-line\">Latest News<\/h2>\n                <div class=\"sq-cards\">\n    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href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/scotland-world-cup-2026-fixtures-squad-analysis\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/12\/18120345\/3D6F5J2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">News<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/scotland-world-cup-2026-fixtures-squad-analysis\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Scotland World Cup 2026: Fixtures, manager, squad depth and tactical analysis                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/andrewfrancis\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Andy Francis                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">17 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DR Congo will compete in the World Cup for the first time since 1974 when they played as Zaire after overcoming Jamaica in the inter-confederation playoffs in March. With a strong, experienced spine that includes a handful of established Premier League names such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Yoane Wissa, the Leopards could be set to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":370,"featured_media":1450262,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"dr congo world cup","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Everything you need to know about DR Congo at World Cup 2026 including their fixtures, key players, manager and tactical analysis.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"news-category":[27626],"class_list":["post-1450261","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-world-cup"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>DR Congo World Cup 2026: Fixtures, key 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