DR Congo's road to the 2026 World Cup was anything but easy. "Les Léopards" were drawn into a CAF qualifying group alongside Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo, and Mauritania, eventually edging out Senegal to finish second. At one point, DR Congo led the group, but a 2-1 home defeat to Senegal proved costly and allowed their rivals to claim top spot. Their second-place finish earned them a place in the African playoffs, where they overcame Cameroon and Nigeria before defeating Jamaica in the intercontinental playoff to seal their ticket to the tournament.
Head coach Sébastien Desabre has kept the core of his squad intact. Veteran defender Chancel Mbemba, a consistent performer for the national team, will lead the side as captain. Up front, 35-year-old Cédric Bakambu is expected to spearhead the attack, with Yoann Wissa, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Axel Tuanzebe also included. One of the more surprising names on the list is former Chelsea prospect Gaël Kakuta, who had not featured in the African World Cup qualifiers and had been absent from the squad since 2024, aside from two appearances at the last Africa Cup of Nations.
For Desabre, the team's resilience was the key to reaching the World Cup. "It has not been simple, but we showed resilience to reach our goal. We are proud to be going to the World Cup. There's also a strong sense of responsibility to make a good showing of ourselves and of our country. Thanks to our Congolese fans who followed us all through our campaign. We will give our all to make everybody proud and show the best image of the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said.
DR Congo have been drawn into Group K alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia. They will open their campaign against Portugal on June 17th at NRG Stadium in Houston. Ahead of the tournament, the Léopards will play two warm-up friendlies: against Denmark on June 3rd and Chile on June 9th.
DR Congo 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)
Defenders: Dylan Batubinsika (Larisa), Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian), Gedeon Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Lodz), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Racing Lens), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor), Gael Kakuta (Larisa), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland)
Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)
