Mbemba
The Democratic Republic of the Congo were the last team to complete the 48-nation field for the 2026 World Cup. Not the last to announce their squad — the last to qualify, period. Three rounds: a CAF qualifying campaign that finished second behind Senegal, a playoff mini-tournament in Morocco where captain Chancel Mbemba scored an injury-time winner against Cameroon and then converted the decisive penalty to beat Nigeria, and finally an intercontinental playoff against Jamaica where Axel Tuanzebe of Burnley scored the extra-time winner in a 1-0 victory. Each time, the Leopards survived.
Mbemba is 31, has 107 caps — the most in Congolese history — and plays for Lille. He has carried this team for a decade. The last time this country played at a World Cup, it was called Zaire. In 1974, in West Germany, they lost all three group games and conceded 14 goals. Fifty-two years later, the Leopards return under their current name, with a squad built from the European diaspora, managed by the Frenchman Sébastien Desabre, and anchored by a defense that conceded just one goal in their last four qualifying matches.
The squad
Goalkeepers: Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liège)
Defenders: Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Arthur Masuaku (Lens), Joris Kayembe (Genk), Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Łódź), Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock), Dylan Batubinsika (Larissa), Gédéon Kalulu (AEL Limassol)
Midfielders: Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Ngal'ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Nathanaël Mbuku (Montpellier), Brian Cipenga (Castellón), Gaël Kakuta (Larissa), Meschack Elia (Alanyaspor)
Forwards: Théo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Cédric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)
What it tells you
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, born in Croydon, was capped by England at under-21 level and called into the senior squad in 2019 without making an appearance. He switched allegiance to DR Congo in August 2025 and has won nine caps since. Axel Tuanzebe of Burnley, also born in England, made the same choice. Both are products of Manchester United's academy. Both will play their first World Cup for a country their families left. Gaël Kakuta, 34, once one of Chelsea's most hyped academy graduates, returns to the squad after a long absence — a player whose club career never matched its early promise but whose international commitment has endured.
Mbemba is the defensive anchor. His 107 caps make him the squad's most experienced player by a wide margin, and his performances in the playoff tournament elevated him from captain to national icon in the space of a week. Wan-Bissaka provides Premier League-level defending from full-back; Tuanzebe adds physical presence centrally.
Yoane Wissa of Newcastle is the squad's most talented attacker. He has struggled with form and injuries since moving from Brentford, and was omitted from the 2025 AFCON squad — but his ability when fit makes him the player DR Congo will look to for moments of individual brilliance. Cédric Bakambu of Real Betis, with 21 international goals, is one shy of Dieumerci Mbokani's all-time record and provides the experience and composure that the younger attackers lack.
The most intriguing absentee is Jorthy Mokio, an 18-year-old Ajax utility player who featured 26 times in the Eredivisie this season and opted to switch from Belgium to DR Congo — but having made his Belgium debut in March 2025, FIFA rules prevent him from representing the Leopards until 2028. For a squad whose identity is built on allegiance switching, the one who couldn't is the one who stings most.
DR Congo are in Group K alongside Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. They open against Portugal on June 17 at NRG Stadium in Houston, face Colombia on June 23 at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, and conclude against Uzbekistan on June 27 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.