Fifty-two years is a long time to wait for anything. DR Congo waited that long just to get back to the World Cup. Then they went ahead and won a match.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 on June 27, 2026, securing the nation’s first-ever World Cup victory and punching their ticket to the knockout stage. Yoane Wissa, a 29-year-old forward who nearly lost his sight in 2021, scored in both of DR Congo’s group stage matches, cementing himself as the face of one of the tournament’s best stories.
From 52 years of silence to four points in Group K
DR Congo’s last World Cup appearance came in 1974, when the country was still known as Zaire. That tournament did not go well. The team was eliminated without a point, and the nation wouldn’t return to football’s grandest stage for more than half a century.
On June 17, DR Congo drew Portugal 1-1 in their Group K opener. Wissa scored the country’s first-ever World Cup goal in that match. Earning a point against Portugal immediately signaled that this was not a team content with just showing up.
