DR Congo World Cup 2026 Squad: Final 26-Player List

The last time DR Congo appeared at a FIFA World Cup, the country was called Zaire. That was 1974. Fifty-two years later, Sébastien Desabre announced the DR Congo World Cup 2026 Squad on May 18, 2026, naming 26 players for a Group K campaign against Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. It’s only the Leopards’ second World Cup appearance, and this squad doesn’t look like a side that came to make up the numbers.

DR Congo didn’t walk into this tournament. They finished second in CAF Group B with 22 points, then beat Nigeria on penalties in the African playoff final in November 2025.

On March 31, 2026, Axel Tuanzebe headed home in extra time against Jamaica at the Guadalajara Stadium to confirm the intercontinental playoff. That header ended a 52-year wait.

DR Congo Quick Facts:

• Country: Democratic Republic of Congo
• Confederation: CAF
• Nickname: The Leopards
• Head Coach: Sébastien Desabre
• Captain: Chancel Mbemba
• Group: Group K
• Group Opponents: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan
• First Match: June 17, 2026 vs Portugal, Houston Stadium, 1:00 PM ET
• Last Group Match: June 27, 2026 vs Uzbekistan, Atlanta Stadium, 7:30 PM ET
• FIFA Ranking: 46th (as of April 1, 2026)
• World Cup Appearance: Second
• Kit Manufacturer: Umbro

DR Congo Squad List for World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers

• Lionel Mpasi, 31, Le Havre (France)
• Timothy Fayulu, 26, FC Noah (Armenia)
• Matthieu Epolo, 23, Standard Liège (Belgium)

Defenders

• Chancel Mbemba (C), 31, Lille (France)
• Arthur Masuaku, 32, Lens (France)
• Gédéon Kalulu, 28, Aris Limassol (Cyprus)
• Joris Kayembe, 31, Genk (Belgium)
• Dylan Batubinsika, 30, AEL Larissa (Greece)
• Axel Tuanzebe, 28, Burnley (England)
• Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 28, West Ham United (England)
• Steve Kapuadi, 28, Widzew Łódź (Poland)

Midfielders

• Meschak Elia, 28, Alanyaspor (Turkey)
• Samuel Moutoussamy, 29, Atromitos (Greece)
• Edo Kayembe, 28, Watford (England)
• Charles Pickel, 29, Espanyol (Spain)
• Gaël Kakuta, 35, AEL Larissa (Greece)
• Noah Sadiki, 21, Sunderland (England)
• Nathanaël Mbuku, 23, Montpellier (France)
• Ngal’ayel Mukau, 21, Lille (France)
• Brian Cipenga, 28, Castellón (Spain)
• Aaron Tshibola, 31, Kilmarnock (Scotland)

Forwards

• Cédric Bakambu, 35, Real Betis (Spain)
• Théo Bongonda, 30, Spartak Moscow (Russia)
• Fiston Mayele, 31, Pyramids (Egypt)
• Yoane Wissa, 29, Newcastle United (England)
• Simon Banza, 29, Al Jazira (UAE)

The squad stretches from 21-year-olds Noah Sadiki and Ngal’ayel Mukau to 35-year-old veterans Cédric Bakambu and Gaël Kakuta. Desabre mostly stayed loyal to the players who earned this qualification, though one change was forced: Rocky Bushiri was ruled out through injury two days after the original announcement and replaced by Kilmarnock defensive midfielder Aaron Tshibola.

Eight players are based in English football across the Premier League and Championship. Five play in France, three in Spain. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe both came through England’s youth system before switching allegiance to DR Congo. Sadiki did the same from Belgium. The Leopards don’t field a European diaspora squad as a novelty. It’s the actual depth of Congolese talent born across the continent.

DR Congo World Cup 2026 Fixtures

DR Congo play two of their three Group K matches in the United States and one in Guadalajara, Mexico. Local kick-off times are listed in both Eastern Time (ET) for North American host venues and Central Africa Time (CAT) for fans watching in DR Congo.

Date	Match	Venue	Time (ET)	Time (CAT)
June 17, 2026	DR Congo vs Portugal	Houston Stadium, Houston	1:00 PM	7:00 PM
June 23, 2026	Colombia vs DR Congo	Guadalajara Stadium, Zapopan	10:00 PM	4:00 AM (+1)
June 27, 2026	DR Congo vs Uzbekistan	Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta	7:30 PM	1:30 AM (+1)

The top two from Group K advance automatically to the Round of 32. Eight best third-placed teams also advance. Portugal and Colombia are expected to take the two automatic spots, which makes the Colombia match on June 23 the Leopards’ most important game of the group stage.

A draw against Colombia followed by a win over Uzbekistan would almost certainly send DR Congo through. That’s the target Desabre will have in his head from the start. The Uzbekistan game in Atlanta is the one DR Congo is expected to win.

Manager: Sébastien Desabre

Sébastien Desabre is 49, born August 2, 1976, in Valence, France. He was appointed DR Congo head coach in June 2022. Desabre never had a professional playing career and moved straight into coaching at age 30. The DR Congo job is the longest he’s held at a senior level, and he’s made it count.

Before taking over the Leopards, Desabre had worked across eight African countries over 14 years. His career includes stints at ASEC Mimosas in Ivory Coast, Espérance de Tunis, Wydad AC in Morocco, and Uganda from 2017 to 2019. With Uganda, he guided the Cranes to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, their first AFCON appearance in 41 years, where they advanced to the round of 16.

His four years with DR Congo produced back-to-back milestones. The Leopards reached the 2023 AFCON semi-finals under his leadership, their best run in years. Then came the World Cup qualification, a result that required beating both Cameroon and Nigeria through the CAF playoff route before Jamaica in the intercontinental final.

Desabre organizes DR Congo in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 depending on the opponent. Defensive shape comes first. He presses high against weaker sides and drops into a compact block against superior teams. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Arthur Masuaku provide width at full-back. The attack starts and ends with Yoane Wissa finding space in behind.

Star Player: Yoane Wissa

Yoane Wissa is 29, plays as a forward for Newcastle United, and has around 37 caps and nine goals for DR Congo. He was born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France, of Congolese descent, and developed through French football before his Premier League career started at Brentford. Newcastle signed him for £55 million in 2025, which made him one of the most expensive African players of that transfer window.

Wissa made his DR Congo debut in 2020 and became the team’s sharpest attacking presence. His first full season at Newcastle wasn’t consistent, but his international form held. In March 2026, two weeks before the Jamaica playoff, he scored from the penalty spot against Bermuda in a 2-0 warm-up win. That goal reminded everyone what he can do when the moment matters.

At Brentford, Wissa built a reputation as a direct, explosive forward with sharp acceleration and the ability to score from difficult angles. Those traits didn’t disappear after his big move. They’re exactly what Desabre needs when the Leopards have possession against a deep defensive block. Wissa doesn’t need much space. He creates his own.

At 29, this is almost certainly his only World Cup. He knows that. DR Congo’s ability to cause problems against Portugal and Colombia depends entirely on whether Wissa can perform at his best over three matches. If he fires in June, this isn’t a squad that goes quietly in Group K.

Key Players to Watch

Noah Sadiki

Noah Sadiki is 21, plays central midfield for Sunderland, and is one of the youngest players in the squad. He was born in Brussels, Belgium, spent years in Belgian youth football, and switched allegiance to DR Congo in 2023. Sunderland signed him from Union SG in July 2025 on a five-year deal. He made 32 Premier League appearances in the 2025-26 season.

Sadiki’s pressing intensity and technical quality stand out at 21. Desabre pairs him with more experienced central midfielders to give the engine room both energy and composure. He won’t dominate Group K headlines, but he’s the type of player who makes the system function when everything around him gets stretched under pressure.

Chancel Mbemba

Chancel Mbemba is 31, plays centre-back for Lille, and captains DR Congo with 107 international caps. He became the first Congolese player to reach 100 senior caps in November 2025. That milestone reflects a career that got better with every club move from Newcastle to Porto to Marseille to Lille, each one a step up in quality and confidence.

Mbemba’s authority at the back is DR Congo’s most important defensive asset. He reads the game well, wins headers, and organizes the defence around him. Without him playing well, the structure Desabre built doesn’t hold. He’s the player Portugal and Colombia will look to bypass first, and the one Desabre can’t afford to lose between now and June 17.

Cédric Bakambu

Cédric Bakambu is 35, plays as a forward for Real Betis, and has spent over a decade as one of DR Congo’s most reliable attackers. He’s played in Spain, China, and the Middle East across a long club career. His link-up play and movement in the box give Desabre a second option when Wissa needs cover or faces a tight marking job.

Bakambu contributed during the 2023 AFCON campaign and remains a consistent national team contributor. His Primera División experience at Real Betis means he’s prepared for high-intensity football against quality opponents. DR Congo’s attack is better with both Bakambu and Wissa on the pitch, and Desabre won’t hesitate to use them together.

Qualification Path & World Cup History

DR Congo finished second in CAF Group B with 22 points from ten matches: seven wins, one draw, and two losses. Senegal topped the group and went through automatically. DR Congo’s second-place finish sent them to the CAF intercontinental playoff bracket, which is where the real work started.

The CAF playoff in November 2025 required two knockout wins. DR Congo beat Cameroon in the semi-final, then faced Nigeria in the final. The match ended 1-1 after extra time. DR Congo converted four of their five penalties to win 4-3 on the shootout. Nigeria filed a complaint to FIFA over the match, but the result and qualification stood.

The intercontinental playoff Path 1 in March 2026 brought Bermuda and then Jamaica. DR Congo beat Bermuda 2-0 on March 25. The final came against Jamaica on March 31 at the Guadalajara Stadium. Ninety minutes ended goalless. Axel Tuanzebe headed home in extra time to win it 1-0. DR Congo were going to the World Cup.

The Leopards’ only previous World Cup was 1974, when they competed as Zaire. They became the first Sub-Saharan African nation to appear at the FIFA World Cup. The tournament went badly: three losses to Scotland (0-2), Yugoslavia (0-9), and Brazil (0-3), a 0-14 goal difference. In one of the most famous moments in World Cup history, defender Mwepu Ilunga ran from the wall and kicked the ball away from a Brazil free kick in protest over unpaid bonuses.

What to Expect & Our Prediction

DR Congo sets up in a compact 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 that prioritizes defensive organization. Mbemba leads the back four. Wan-Bissaka and Masuaku provide width and defensive cover from full-back. The midfield block is hard to get through when it’s set. DR Congo conceded just six goals in ten qualifying matches, which shows the system functions under pressure.

The weakness is obvious: the attack depends heavily on Wissa. Portugal have Cristiano Ronaldo and a squad built for major tournaments. Colombia’s midfield is more technically gifted than DR Congo’s. If Wissa doesn’t fire, the Leopards don’t score enough to compete with the group’s top two sides.

Against Portugal on June 17, a narrow defeat is the expected result. The Colombia match on June 23 is where the tournament could be won or lost. A point there keeps everything alive for the Uzbekistan game. DR Congo are likely to beat Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27 if they arrive with something still to play for.

The WCW Staff prediction is that DR Congo finish third in Group K and fall just short of the Round of 32 as a third-placed qualifier. A surprise point against Colombia makes them genuine contenders for one of the eight third-placed spots. That path is narrow but it’s real. This prediction reflects the opinion of WCW Staff and is not a guaranteed outcome.

DR Congo World Cup 2026 Squad FAQs

The DR Congo World Cup 2026 Squad arrives in Group K carrying 52 years of history and a squad built almost entirely across European leagues. Desabre has shaped a disciplined, defensively sound team with genuine attacking weapons in Wissa and Bakambu.

Mbemba leads from the back. It won’t be easy against Portugal and Colombia. The Leopards don’t need easy. They need Uzbekistan, one good result, and Wissa at his best.