DR Congo World Cup 2026 Squad Quotes — Yoane Wissa, Chancel Mbemba & Cédric Bakambu End a 52-Year Wait
Fifty-two years. That is how long the Democratic Republic of the Congo waited between World Cups. In 1974 they appeared as Zaire — the first sub-Saharan African nation ever to reach the finals — and left with a 9–0 defeat, unpaid wages and one of the most misunderstood images in football history: Mwepu Ilunga booting the ball away from a Brazilian free kick. In November 2025, captain Chancel Mbemba drilled home the decisive penalty against Nigeria in Rabat, the Leopards survived the intercontinental play-off in Mexico, and coach Sébastien Desabre brought DR Congo back at last. Then, at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they did something Zaire never could: they won, they scored, and they reached the knockout stage.
In Group K, Yoane Wissa headed home against Portugal for the country's first-ever World Cup goal in a 1–1 draw, DR Congo lost narrowly 1–0 to Colombia, then Wissa struck twice in a 3–1 win over Uzbekistan — the nation's first World Cup victory — to finish third with four points and advance among the best third-placed teams. In the Round of 32 in Atlanta on July 1, the Leopards took the fight to England before falling 2–1 in the first-ever meeting between the two nations. At the time of writing (early July 2026), the Round of 16 goes on without them — but for a country of over 100 million, whose east has been ravaged by war, this team gave a reason to celebrate together.
DR Congo's World Cup 2026 Regular Squad
Sébastien Desabre built the Leopards on defensive structure and fast vertical transitions. Coach: Sébastien Desabre. Captain: Chancel Mbemba (national record 107+ caps).
| Position | Player | Club (2026) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Lionel Mpasi | Le Havre | First-choice goalkeeper |
| RB | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | West Ham United | Elite one-on-one defender, Premier League pedigree |
| CB | Chancel Mbemba (C) | Lille | Captain; scored the penalty that sent DR Congo back |
| CB | Axel Tuanzebe | Burnley | Physical partner in central defence |
| LB | Arthur Masuaku | Lens | Set-piece specialist; assisted the historic first goal |
| DM | Charles Pickel | Espanyol | Anchor of the midfield |
| CM | Noah Sadiki | Sunderland | 21-year-old engine, breakout of the qualifiers |
| CM | Edo Kayembe | Watford | Left-footed balance in midfield |
| CM | Ngal'ayel Mukau | Lille | Box-to-box prospect, 21 |
| RW | Meschack Elia | Alanyaspor | Scored the equaliser in the Nigeria play-off |
| ST | Yoane Wissa | Newcastle United | Three goals, including DR Congo's first-ever at a World Cup |
| FW | Cédric Bakambu | Real Betis | Veteran striker, 20+ international goals, voice of the team |
| FW | Théo Bongonda | Spartak Moscow | Direct winger with a fierce left foot |
| FW | Fiston Mayele | Pyramids FC | African club football's most feared striker |
| AM | Gaël Kakuta | AEL Limassol | Veteran creator, craft off the bench |
Quotes from DR Congo's Stars and Legends
"Dear Congolese brothers and sisters, I am filled with gratitude and pride to announce to you that we have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with our national team. This dream, I share it with all of you."
Source: Cédric Bakambu, public message to the Congolese people after DR Congo sealed qualification, November 2025 — the Leopards' first World Cup since 1974.
"However, I do not forget the pain and suffering experienced in the east of our country, ravaged by war and conflict for too many years. Every effort we provide on the field, every moment of sacrifice, is also for them."
Source: Cédric Bakambu, from the same qualification message. His goal celebration — one hand over his mouth, the other like a gun to his temple — is a standing tribute to the victims of the conflict in eastern DR Congo.
"It was a message to show support to the victims, to notify people that there are indeed things happening in the east and that it is necessary to shed light on it. It was also our duty to be able to inform what is happening behind the scenes."
Source: Sébastien Desabre, explaining why his players covered their mouths during the anthem before the AFCON 2024 semi-final — one of the most powerful silent protests in football history.
"I did it deliberately. I knew the rules well and wanted to get a red card, but the referee was too lenient and gave only a yellow."
Source: Mwepu Ilunga, in later interviews about the 1974 World Cup moment when he broke from the wall and kicked away Brazil's free kick. The world laughed at "African naivety" — in truth it was a protest by players whose wages had been seized under Mobutu's regime.
"Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?"
Source: widely attributed to Zinedine Zidane, 2003, on Real Madrid selling Kinshasa-born Claude Makélélé while signing David Beckham. The greatest compliment ever paid to a Congolese-born footballer — the man an entire position was named after.
From Zaire 1974 to the Leopards of 2026
The 1974 squad were African champions — winners of the Africa Cup of Nations that same year — yet they are remembered for a 9–0 scoreline and a "comical" free kick. The truth was darker: Mobutu's regime confiscated the players' bonuses, presidential guards threatened them before the Brazil match, and many of the team died in poverty. Ilunga's kick was not ignorance but defiance. For half a century, that distorted image was the world's only memory of Congolese football.
The 2026 Leopards rewrote it. A diaspora generation raised in Kinshasa, Paris, Brussels and London — Wissa, Wan-Bissaka, Sadiki, Mukau — combined with home-grown pride to draw with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan and take England to the wire. And they did it while using football's biggest stage to speak, as Bakambu and Desabre have, for the victims of the war in the country's east. Fifty-two years of silence, answered.
FAQ: DR Congo at the World Cup 2026
Who is DR Congo's captain at the 2026 World Cup?
Chancel Mbemba captains DR Congo at the 2026 World Cup. The Lille centre-back holds the national record with over 107 caps and converted the decisive penalty against Nigeria in the play-off final that sent the Leopards to their first World Cup since 1974. Coach Sébastien Desabre's squad also features Yoane Wissa, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Cédric Bakambu.
Was 2026 DR Congo's first World Cup?
The 2026 tournament was DR Congo's first World Cup in 52 years. The country appeared once before, as Zaire in 1974 — the first sub-Saharan African nation at a World Cup — losing all three matches without scoring. In 2026 the Leopards drew with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan 3–1 for their first-ever World Cup win, reached the knockout stage for the first time, and fell 2–1 to England in the Round of 32.
Who scored DR Congo's first World Cup goal?
Yoane Wissa scored DR Congo's first-ever World Cup goal, heading in Arthur Masuaku's cross in the 1–1 draw with Portugal in Houston in the 2026 group stage. The Newcastle United striker finished the group phase with three goals, including a brace against Uzbekistan that secured the country's first World Cup victory.
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