DRC at the 2026 World Cup: Player list, match schedule, and what ambitions after 52 years of waiting?

DR Congo returns to the 2026 World Cup, 52 years after the 1974 tournament when it played as Zaire. Under French coach Sébastien Desabre, the Leopards qualified by defeating Cameroon, Nigeria, and Jamaica, following a semi-final run at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. In Group K, they will face Portugal (June 17 in Houston), Colombia (June 23 in Guadalajara), and Uzbekistan (June 27 in Atlanta). Desabre has relied on continuity with a stable core led by Chancel Mbemba and Lionel Mpasi.