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DR Congo national football team

(Redirected from Democratic Republic of Congo national football team)

The DR Congo national football team (French: équipe nationale de football de la République démocratique du Congo; Lingala: lisanga ya ndémbô ya Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki), recognised by FIFA as Congo DR and by CAF as DR Congo, represents the Democratic Republic of the Congo in men's international football. It is controlled by the Congolese Association Football Federation. They are nicknamed Les Léopards, meaning The Leopards.[2] The team is a member of FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). DR Congo have previously competed variously as Belgian Congo, Congo-Kinshasa and Zaïre.

DR Congo
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Léopards (Leopards)
Guerriers de l'Équateur (Warriors of the Equator)
La Céleste (The Skyblue)
AssociationFédération Congolaise de Football-Association (FECOFA)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationUNIFFAC (Central Africa)
Head coachSébastien Desabre
CaptainChancel Mbemba
Most capsChancel Mbemba (113)
Top scorerDieumerci Mbokani (22)
Home stadiumStade des Martyrs
FIFA codeCOD
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 46 Steady (11 June 2026)[1]
Highest28 (July–August 2017)
Lowest133 (October 2011)
First international
Belgian Congo 3–2 Northern Rhodesia 
(Belgian Congo; 22 May 1948)
Biggest win
 Congo-Kinshasa 10–1 Zambia 
(Kinshasa, Congo DR; 22 November 1969)
Biggest defeat
 Yugoslavia 9–0 Zaire 
(Gelsenkirchen, West Germany; 18 June 1974)
World Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1974)
Best resultRound of 32 (2026)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances21 (first in 1965)
Best resultChampions (1968, 1974)
African Nations Championship
Appearances5 (first in 2009)
Best resultChampions, (2009, 2016)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2016)
Best resultFourth place (2016)

DR Congo have been ranked as high as 28th in the FIFA Rankings. They won the Africa Cup of Nations twice (in 1968 as Congo-Kinshasa and in 1974 as Zaire), and were the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, as Zaire in 1974. They are also one of the most successful teams in the African Nations Championship with two titles (2009 and 2016), second only to Morocco with three. They qualified for the World Cup in 2026 as DR Congo, and are currently ranked 46th in the FIFA Rankings.[3]

History

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Early history

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The Congolese Association Football Federation was founded in 1919 when the country was not yet independent. The team played their first game in 1948 as Belgian Congo against Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. The team recorded a 3–2 victory at home. DR Congo has been FIFA affiliated since 1962 and has been a member of CAF since 1963. The team's first official match was on 11 April 1963, against Mauritania in the L'Amitié Tournament played in Dakar, Senegal. DR Congo won the match 6–0.[4] The national team appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 1965.

First World Cup appearance

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo had its first international success at the 1968 African Cup of Nations held in Ethiopia, beating Ghana 1–0 in the final. The team's biggest ever win came on 22 November 1969 when they recorded a 10–1 home victory against Zambia. Although a handful of Congolese players were playing in Europe (particularly Belgium) during these years, foreign-based players were seldom recalled for international duty; a rare exception was Julien Kialunda who represented Zaire (as the country was by then known) at the 1972 African Cup of Nations while playing for Anderlecht.

Zaire versus Brazil in the 1974 World Cup
Zaire versus Scotland in 1974 World Cup

The second continental title came at the 1974 African Cup of Nations in Egypt. The Leopards recorded a 2–1 victory against Guinea, another 2–1 victory against rivals Congo and a 4–1 victory against Mauritius. These results carried Zaire through to the semi-finals where they beat hosts Egypt 3–2. In the final, Zaire drew with Zambia 2–2. Therefore, the match was replayed two days later, where Zaire won the game 2–0. Zaire player Ndaye Mulamba was top scorer with nine goals, which remains a record for the tournament. After this, the team returned to Zaire on the Presidential plane, lent to them by Mobutu Sese Seko.

Zaire were the first Sub-Saharan African team to participate in a World Cup, qualifying for the 1974 tournament in place of the 1970 participant Morocco, whom they defeated in the decisive qualifier 3–0 in Kinshasa.[5] Such was the desire to foster an identity of Zaire as a global player that Mobutu paid for advertising hoardings at the World Cup to display messages such as ‘Zaire-Peace’ and ‘Go to Zaire’.[6] After their qualification for the World Cup, Mobutu invited the Zaire squad to his palace in Gbadolite, where he promised them cash and other gifts if they did well.[7]

At the tournament itself, Zaire did not manage to score any goals and lost all of its games, but gave credible performances against Scotland and Brazil. However, the team's morale was low because they did not receive the resources they were promised, and had problems involving their Yugoslav coach, Blagoje Vidinić. Their match against Yugoslavia became a 9–0 loss, and remains one of the worst World Cup defeats. The Zaire team was threatened by their government that they would face consequences if they were to have a loss against Brazil by more than 3–0. A bizarre moment came in the match versus Brazil; facing a free-kick 25 yards out, defender Mwepu Ilunga, upon hearing the referee blow his whistle, ran out of the Zaire wall and kicked the ball upfield, for which he received a yellow card. This was voted the 17th greatest World Cup moment in a Channel 4 poll.[7][8][9] Ilunga has stated that he was quite aware of the rules and was hoping to convince the referee to send him off. The intended red card would have been a protest against his country's authorities, who were alleged to be depriving the players of their earnings.[10] Many contemporary commentators instead held it to be an example of African football's "naïvety and indiscipline".[11]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Yugoslavia 3 1 2 0 10 1 +9 4 Advance to second round
2  Brazil 3 1 2 0 3 0 +3 4
3  Scotland 3 1 2 0 3 1 +2 4
4  Zaire 3 0 0 3 0 14 −14 0
Source: FIFA

Crisis period

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After winning the 1974 African Cup of Nations and participating in the 1974 World Cup, the team was eliminated in the first round of the 1976 African Cup of Nations after recording a draw and two losses in the group stage. Morocco went on to win the tournament. From 1978 to 1986, the country did not qualify for the African Cup of Nations, while not participating in qualification for the 1978 World Cup and 1986 World Cup. In the 1988 African Cup of Nations, Zaire finished last in their group despite having two draws.

Return to success

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From 1992 to 1996, Zaire reached three consecutive African Cup of Nations quarter-finals. In 1992 and 1994, they were beaten by Nigeria, and in 1996 they were beaten by Ghana. In 1997, the country returned to its former name of Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the national team was re-branded as the Simbas, a nickname that stuck for the next nine years.[12] DR Congo played their first game on 8 June 1997 in Pointe-Noire which ended in a 1–0 loss to the Republic of the Congo. At the 1998 African Cup of Nations, DR Congo, led by Louis Watunda, surprisingly took third place, beating Cameroon in the quarter-finals and hosts Burkina Faso 4–1 on penalties in their last match after scoring three late goals to tie the encounter 4–4.

At the 2000 African Cup of Nations, the team finished third in their group, and in 2002 were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Senegal. Then, in 2004, DR Congo were eliminated after three straight defeats in the group stages. In 2006, led by Claude Le Roy, having finished second in the group behind Cameroon, the Congolese were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Egypt 4–1.

Struggles

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DR Congo were drawn in group 10 for qualifications for the 2008 African Cup of Nations, along with Libya, Namibia and Ethiopia. Before the last match day, the Congolese led the group, but they drew 1–1 with Libya in their final match while Namibia beat Ethiopia 3–2. This sent Namibia through to the Finals, while the Leopards were eliminated. DR Congo also failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. In 2009, DR Congo won the 2009 African Championship of Nations, a competition reserved to players in domestic leagues, a tournament they would again win in 2016. DR Congo reached the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa but were knocked out in the group stages after drawing all three matches.

Rise and near World Cup miss

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DR Congo versus Guinea in 2023

In the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, DR Congo again drew all three group matches but this time finished second in the group behind Tunisia, and therefore advanced to the quarter-finals to play their rivals Congo (Republic), a match in which the Leopards came from two goals down to win 4–2. However, they were knocked out by the Ivory Coast 3–1 in the semi-finals. They ended up finishing third, beating Equatorial Guinea on penalties, after the third place match finished 0–0 in regulation time.

DR Congo under Ibengé improved radically and had an outstanding performance for many decades in a World Cup qualification. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, DR Congo was grouped with Libya, Tunisia and Guinea. DR Congo managed an outstanding performance, beating Libya and Guinea home and away, but missed the chance after losing 1–2 to eventual World Cup qualifier Tunisia in Tunis and drew 2–2 at home to the same opponent.

Second World Cup appearance

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DR Congo finished second behind Senegal in the 2026 World Cup qualification Group B, before defeating both Cameroon and Nigeria in the second round.[13] In the inter-confederation play-offs, they secured a 1–0 extra-time victory over Jamaica to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking their second World Cup appearance after 1974.[14] The day after the authorities announced a public holiday in the country for people to celebrate the achievement.[15] On 17 June 2026, during the group-stage, Yoane Wissa scored the country's first ever World Cup goal against Portugal in Houston in a 1–1 draw, also claiming the country's first ever point in the tournament.[16] On 27 June, DR Congo qualified for the knockout stage for the first time after achieving their first World Cup victory, a 3–1 win over Uzbekistan, in Atlanta. Yoane Wissa and Fiston Mayele scored goals against Uzbekistan.[17][18]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Colombia 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Portugal 3 1 2 0 6 1 +5 5
3  DR Congo 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
4  Uzbekistan 3 0 0 3 2 11 −9 0
Source: FIFA

On 1 July 2026, during the round of 32, DR Congo lost to England in 2–1 match in Atlanta, after leading during the first half of the game thanks to a goal by Brian Cipenga. Cipenga scored a goal seven minutes into the match. Yoane Wissa took a shot at 42 minutes, but the ball hit the right side goalpost. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi made multiple saves during the match, including two against England's Jude Bellingham, but at 75 minutes Harry Kane scored a goal, and followed it up with another one at 86 minutes, which, ultimately, gave England the victory.[19][20][21]

Home stadium

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Stade des Martyrs has been the home of the national team since its establishment and they occasionally play their games at Lubumbashi.

Results and fixtures

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The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2025

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5 September 2026 World Cup qualification South Sudan  1–4  DR Congo Juba, South Sudan
14:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Juba Stadium
Referee: Brighton Chimene (Zimbabwe)
9 September 2026 World Cup qualification DR Congo  2–3  Senegal Kinshasa, DR Congo
17:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Stade des Martyrs
Referee: Omar Artan (Somalia)
13 November 2026 World Cup qualification Cameroon  0–1  DR Congo Rabat, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1 Report
Stadium: Al Barid Stadium
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
16 December Friendly Zambia  0–2  DR Congo Murcia, Spain
16:00 UTC+1 Report
Stadium: Pinatar Arena
Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas (Spain)
23 December 2025 AFCON GS DR Congo  1–0  Benin Rabat, Morocco
13:30 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Al Barid Stadium
Attendance: 13,073
Referee: Abongile Tom (South Africa)
27 December 2025 AFCON GS Senegal  1–1  DR Congo Tangier, Morocco
16:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Ibn Batouta Stadium
Attendance: 41,672
Referee: Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)
30 December 2025 AFCON GS Botswana  0–3  DR Congo Rabat, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1 Report
Stadium: Al Barid Stadium
Attendance: 12,569
Referee: Ahmad Heeralall (Mauritius)

2026

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6 January 2025 AFCON R16 Algeria  1–0 (a.e.t.)  DR Congo Rabat, Morocco
17:00 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium
Attendance: 18,837
Referee: Mahmoud Mansour (Egypt)
25 March Friendly DR Congo  2–0  Bermuda Guadalajara, Mexico
15:00 UTC−6
Report Stadium: Estadio Akron
Referee: Daniel Quintero (Mexico)
3 June Friendly Denmark  0–0  DR Congo Liège, Belgium
19:00 UTC−2 Report Stadium: Stade Maurice Dufrasne
Attendance: 23,043
Referee: Lothar D'Hondt (Belgium)
9 June Friendly DR Congo  1–2  Chile Orléans, France
18:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Stade de la Source
Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors)
Referee: Mehrez Melki (Tunisia)
Note: Originally, Match cancelled due to La Línea de la Concepción's mayoral ban related to the 2026 Central Africa Ebola epidemic, but relocated to Orléans.
17 June 2026 World Cup GS Portugal  1–1  DR Congo Houston, Texas, United States
12:00 UTC−5
Report
Stadium: NRG Stadium
Attendance: 68,777
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
23 June 2026 World Cup GS Colombia  1–0  DR Congo Guadalajara, Mexico
20:00 UTC−6
Report Stadium: Estadio Akron
Attendance: 45,358
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
27 June 2026 World Cup GS DR Congo  3–1  Uzbekistan Atlanta, Georgia, United States
19:30 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Attendance: 68,239
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)
1 July 2026 World Cup R32 England  2–1  DR Congo Atlanta, Georgia, United States
12:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Attendance: 68,239
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
TBD 2027 AFCON qualification DR Congo  v  Equatorial Guinea TBD, DR Congo
TBD Stadium: TBD
TBD 2027 AFCON qualification Equatorial Guinea  v  DR Congo TBD, Equatorial Guinea
TBD Stadium: TBD
TBD 2027 AFCON qualification DR Congo  v  Sierra Leone TBD, DR Congo
TBD Stadium: TBD
TBD 2027 AFCON qualification Sierra Leone  v  DR Congo TBD, Sierra Leone
TBD Stadium: TBD
TBD 2027 AFCON qualification DR Congo  v  Zimbabwe TBD, DR Congo
TBD Stadium: TBD
TBD 2027 AFCON qualification Zimbabwe  v  DR Congo TBD, Zimbabwe
TBD Stadium: TBD

Technical staff

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Position Staff
Director of football Democratic Republic of the Congo Hérita Ilunga
Sporting director Democratic Republic of the Congo Christian Nsengi-Biembe
Technical director Democratic Republic of the Congo Médard Lusadusu
Head coach France Sébastien Desabre
Assistant coach Spain Rafael Hamidi Cuadros
Goalkeeping coach Democratic Republic of the Congo Robert Kidiaba
Fitness coach Democratic Republic of the Congo
Match analyst France Corentin Jourdan
Physiotherapist France Cédric D'Antonio

Coaching history

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Sébastien Desabre became the manager of the DR Congo national football team in 2022

Players

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Current squad

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The following 26 players were called up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and for the pre-tournament friendly matches against Denmark and Chile on 3 and 9 June 2026, respectively.[23] Rocky Bushiri withdrew injured and was replaced by Aaron Tshibola on 20 May.[24]
Caps and goals as of 1 July 2026, after the match against England.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Lionel Mpasi (1994-08-01) 1 August 1994 (age 31) 32 0 French Football Federation Le Havre
16 1GK Timothy Fayulu (1999-07-24) 24 July 1999 (age 26) 3 0 Football Federation of Armenia Noah
21 1GK Matthieu Epolo (2005-01-15) 15 January 2005 (age 21) 1 0 Royal Belgian Football Association Standard Liège
2 2DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka (1997-11-26) 26 November 1997 (age 28) 16 0 The Football Association West Ham United
3 2DF Steve Kapuadi (1998-04-30) 30 April 1998 (age 28) 5 0 Polish Football Association Widzew Łódź
4 2DF Axel Tuanzebe (1997-11-14) 14 November 1997 (age 28) 17 1 The Football Association Burnley
5 2DF Dylan Batubinsika (1996-02-15) 15 February 1996 (age 30) 15 1 Hellenic Football Federation AEL
12 2DF Joris Kayembe (1994-08-08) 8 August 1994 (age 31) 30 1 Royal Belgian Football Association Genk
22 2DF Chancel Mbemba (captain) (1994-08-08) 8 August 1994 (age 31) 111 7 French Football Federation Lille
24 2DF Gédéon Kalulu (1997-08-29) 29 August 1997 (age 28) 29 0 Cyprus Football Association Aris Limassol
26 2DF Arthur Masuaku (1993-11-07) 7 November 1993 (age 32) 48 4 French Football Federation Lens
6 3MF Ngal'ayel Mukau (2004-11-03) 3 November 2004 (age 21) 18 0 French Football Federation Lille
7 3MF Nathanaël Mbuku (2002-03-16) 16 March 2002 (age 24) 22 2 French Football Federation Montpellier
8 3MF Samuel Moutoussamy (1996-08-12) 12 August 1996 (age 29) 62 0 Hellenic Football Federation Atromitos
9 3MF Brian Cipenga (1998-03-11) 11 March 1998 (age 28) 10 1 Royal Spanish Football Federation Almería
10 3MF Théo Bongonda (1995-11-20) 20 November 1995 (age 30) 40 7 Unattached
11 3MF Gaël Kakuta (1991-06-21) 21 June 1991 (age 35) 31 5 Hellenic Football Federation AEL
14 3MF Noah Sadiki (2004-12-17) 17 December 2004 (age 21) 24 0 The Football Association Sunderland
15 3MF Aaron Tshibola (1995-01-02) 2 January 1995 (age 31) 17 1 Scottish Football Association Kilmarnock
18 3MF Charles Pickel (1997-05-15) 15 May 1997 (age 29) 36 1 Royal Spanish Football Federation Espanyol
25 3MF Edo Kayembe (1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 28) 45 2 The Football Association Watford
13 4FW Meschak Elia (third captain) (1997-08-06) 6 August 1997 (age 28) 68 12 Turkish Football Federation Alanyaspor
17 4FW Cédric Bakambu (vice-captain) (1991-04-11) 11 April 1991 (age 35) 72 21 Unattached
19 4FW Fiston Mayele (1994-06-24) 24 June 1994 (age 32) 38 6 Unattached
20 4FW Yoane Wissa (1996-09-03) 3 September 1996 (age 29) 42 11 The Football Association Newcastle United
23 4FW Simon Banza (1996-08-13) 13 August 1996 (age 29) 17 2 United Arab Emirates Football Association Al Jazira

Recent call-ups

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The following players have also been called up for DR Congo in the last twelve months and are still eligible to represent.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Dimitry Bertaud (1998-06-06) 6 June 1998 (age 28) 14 0 Canada Forge 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Rocky Bushiri (1999-11-30) 30 November 1999 (age 26) 7 1 Scotland Hibernian 2026 FIFA World Cup INJ
DF Brian Bayeye (2000-06-30) 30 June 2000 (age 26) 4 0 France Villefranche v.  Jamaica, 31 March 2026
DF Jeremy Ngakia (2000-09-07) 7 September 2000 (age 25) 0 0 England Watford v.  Bermuda, 27 March 2026 INJ
MF Grady Diangana (1998-04-19) 19 April 1998 (age 28) 8 0 Spain Elche v.  Jamaica, 31 March 2026
MF Mario Stroeykens (2004-09-29) 29 September 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Belgium Anderlecht 2025 Africa Cup of Nations INJ
MF Warren Bondo (2003-09-15) 15 September 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Italy Cremonese 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Samuel Essende (1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 28) 11 1 Switzerland Young Boys 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Michel-Ange Balikwisha (2001-05-10) 10 May 2001 (age 25) 5 0 Scotland Celtic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Jackson Muleka (1999-10-04) 4 October 1999 (age 26) 18 3 Turkey Konyaspor v.  Sudan, 14 October 2025
FW Afimico Pululu (1999-03-23) 23 March 1999 (age 27) 0 0 Poland Jagiellonia Białystok v.  Togo, 10 October 2025 INJ

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Records

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As of 1 July 2026[25]
Players in bold are still active with DR Congo.

Most appearances

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Chancel Mbemba is DR Congo's most capped player with 113 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Chancel Mbemba 113 7 2012–present
2 Cédric Bakambu 73 21 2015–present
3 Meschak Elia 71 8 2016–present
4 Issama Mpeko 70 2 2011–2023
5 Robert Kidiaba 64 0 2002–2015
6 Samuel Moutoussamy 62 0 2019–present
7 Zola Matumona 53 9 2002–2014
Trésor Mputu 53 14 2004–2021
9 Joël Kimwaki 52 3 2009–2016
10 Yannick Bolasie 50 9 2013–2022
Marcel Mbayo 50 4 1996–2011

Top goalscorers

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Dieumerci Mbokani is DR Congo's all-time top scorer with 22 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Dieumerci Mbokani 22 49 0.45 2005–2022
2 Cédric Bakambu 21 73 0.29 2015–present
3 Shabani Nonda 14 22 0.64 2000–2008
Trésor Mputu 14 53 0.26 2004–2021
5 Jean-Jacques Yemweni 12 16 0.75 2000–2007
Yoane Wissa 12 43 0.28 2020–present
Meschak Elia 12 71 0.17 2016–present
8 Ngoy Kabongo 11 22 0.5 1981–1991
9 Ndaye Mulamba 10 20 0.5 1973–1976
10 Kakoko Etepé 9 31 0.29 1970–1976
Dioko Kaluyituka 9 31 0.29 2004–2013
Jonathan Bolingi 9 34 0.26 2014–2022
Ndombe Mubele 9 45 0.2 2013–2018
Yannick Bolasie 9 50 0.18 2013–2022
Zola Matumona 9 53 0.17 2002–2014

Competitive record

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FIFA World Cup

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FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
as  Congo and  Congo-Léopoldville as  Congo and  Congo-Léopoldville
1930 to 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
as  Congo-Kinshasa as  Congo-Kinshasa
England 1966 Did not enter Did not enter
as  Zaire as  Zaire
Mexico 1970 Entry not accepted by FIFA Entry not accepted by FIFA
West Germany 1974 Group stage 16th 3 0 0 3 0 14 11 8 1 2 20 4
Argentina 1978 Withdrew Withdrew
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 6 4 1 1 13 12
Mexico 1986 Banned Banned
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 6 2 2 2 7 7
United States 1994 3 0 1 2 1 3
France 1998 Interrupted;
became DR Congo during the qualification process		 6 2 2 2 11 7
as Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo  DR Congo as Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo  DR Congo
France 1998 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 3
South Korea Japan 2002 10 4 2 4 17 18
Germany 2006 10 4 4 2 14 10
South Africa 2010 6 3 0 3 14 6
Brazil 2014 8 3 3 2 11 5
Russia 2018 8 6 1 1 20 9
Qatar 2022 8 3 3 2 11 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Round of 32 23rd 4 1 1 2 5 5 13 9 2 2 18 7
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total: 2/15 Round of 32 16th 7 1 1 5 5 19 98 48 22 27 157 99

Africa Cup of Nations

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Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of Belgium Part of Belgium
Egypt 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1963
Played as  Congo-Léopoldville Played as  Congo-Léopoldville
Tunisia 1965Group stage5th200228420288
Played as  Congo-Kinshasa Played as  Congo-Kinshasa
Ethiopia 1968Champions1st5401105540174
Sudan 1970Group stage7th301225 Qualified as defending champions
Played as  Zaire Played as  Zaire
Cameroon 1972 Fourth place 4th5122911440093
Egypt 1974Champions1st64111484301123
Ethiopia 1976Group stage7th301236 Qualified as defending champions
Ghana 1978 Did not enter Did not enter
Nigeria 1980Did not qualify43011010
Libya 1982420289
Ivory Coast 1984 Withdrew Withdrew
Egypt 1986Did not qualify623184
Morocco 1988Group stage7th302123413031
Algeria 1990Did not qualify201102
Senegal 1992Quarter-finals6th302123631264
Tunisia 1994Quarter-finals7th3111236321133
South Africa 1996Quarter-finals8th3102236312105
Played as Democratic Republic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo DR Congo Played as Democratic Republic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo DR Congo
Burkina Faso 1998Third place3rd6312109623165
Ghana Nigeria 2000Group stage12th302101631276
Mali 2002Quarter-finals6th41123483321310
Tunisia 2004Group stage15th300316632195
Egypt 2006Quarter-finals8th411236104421410
Ghana 2008Did not qualify 6 3 2 1 14 10
Angola 20106303146
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 201262311110
South Africa 2013Group stage10th3030334400125
Equatorial Guinea 2015Third place3rd6141776303109
Gabon 2017Quarter-finals6th4211756501166
Egypt 2019Round of 1614th411266623186
Cameroon 2021Did not qualify 623145
Ivory Coast 2023Fourth place4th7151656402114
Morocco 2025Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 5 2 640273
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2028
Total 2 Titles 21/35 84 23 30 31 99 109 149 77 35 37 250 156

African Nations Championship

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African Nations Championship record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Ivory Coast 2009Champions1st531175430172
Sudan 2011Quarter-finals8th411235211032
South Africa 2014Quarter-finals7th420233211022
Rwanda 2016Champions1st6411147DR Congo qualified by walkover.
Morocco 2018Did not qualify202011
Cameroon 2020Quarter-finals5th421154220061
Algeria 2022Group stage11th302103220071
KenyaTanzaniaUganda 2024Group stage11th420254211042
Total2 titles7/82714493728148512310

African Games

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African Games record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Republic of the Congo 19655th5311208
1973–1987Did not enter
1991–2015See DR Congo national under-23 football team
2015–presentSee DR Congo national under-20 football team
Total1/45311208

Head-to-head record

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Including the record of England. Updated as for 1 July 2026.

Opponent P W D L GF GA W% L%
 Algeria 7043410042.86
 Angola 17854221347.0623.53
 Bahrain 1001010100
 Benin 5410114800
 Botswana 633070500
 Bermuda 1100201000
 Brazil 1001030100
 Burkina Faso[note 2] 13526232138.4646.15
 Burundi 4400931000
 Cameroon 3712718334632.4348.65
 Cape Verde 31203233.330
 Central African Republic 751118571.4314.29
 Chad 1100401000
 Chile 1001120100
 Congo 3818128663847.3721.05
 Colombia 1001010100
 Denmark 10100033.3333.33
 Djibouti 4310213750
 Egypt 1415815277.1457.14
 England 1001120100
 Equatorial Guinea 31115233.3333.33
 Eswatini 731311662.512.5
 Ethiopia 86021467525
 Gabon 19685161631.5826.32
 Gambia 31113533.3333.33
 Ghana 245613234020.8354.17
 Guinea 1562515114033.33
 Iraq 2002130100
 Ivory Coast 2056927342545
 Jamaica 1100101000
 Kenya 1262416135033.33
 Lesotho 734017442.860
 Liberia 9423151044.4433.33
 Libya 12552191141.6716.67
 Madagascar 15834301653.3326.67
 Malawi 74219657.1414.29
 Mali 1234515182541.67
 Mauritania 66001711000
 Mauritius 55001631000
 Mexico 1001120100
 Morocco 17395142017.6529.41
 Mozambique 752015771.430
 Namibia 31114733.3333.33
 New Zealand 20202200
 Niger 31113333.3333.33
 Nigeria 1041516164050
 North Korea 10100000
 Oman 10102200
 Portugal 10101100
 Qatar 10102200
 Romania 20202200
 Rwanda 52031074060
 Saudi Arabia 1001020100
 Scotland 1001020100
 Senegal 1535716222046.67
 Seychelles 2200701000
 Sierra Leone 3300811000
 South Africa 912651011.1166.67
 South Sudan 2200511000
 Sudan 13823211161.5423.08
 Tanzania 18783171138.8916.67
 Togo 181431421177.785.56
 Tunisia 20541117272555
 Uganda 16925291056.2531.25
 Uzbekistan 1100311000
 Yugoslavia 1001090100
 Zambia 289127453533.3325.93
 Zimbabwe 8323171037.537.5
  1. ↑ Tello suffered an injury in the 114th minute and was replaced by fourth official Darío Herrera (Argentina).[22]
  2. ↑ Includes the results of Upper Volta.

Honours

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Continental

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Regional

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Awards

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Summary

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Competition1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Total
CAF African Cup of Nations 2024
CAF African Nations Championship 2002
Total4026

References

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  1. ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "BBC SPORT | WORLD CUP | History | 1974: Zaire's show of shame". BBC News. 22 May 2002. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "FIFA". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (14 June 2007). "DR Congo (Zaire, Congo-Kinshasa) – List of International matches". FRSSF. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  5. ↑ "Leopards roar to Germany 1974". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "More than a game? Mobutu, Sport and Zairian Identity, 1965–1974" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  7. 1 2 Miller, Nick (27 June 2026). "Zaire, that World Cup free kick and the sad story behind one of the World Cup's strangest moments". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Doyle, Paul (18 March 2018). "Ndaye Mulamba is living like a pauper 44 years after Zaire red-card farce". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Explore". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "BBC Sport – Football – Zaire free-kick farce explained". BBC News. 28 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Joy of Six: Symbolic reducers, including Roy Keane, Norman Whiteside and Benjamin Massing | Football". London: theguardian.com. 23 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Football Team Nicknames". topendsports.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "DR Congo edge Nigeria on penalties to reach inter-confederation play-off". CAF Online. 16 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Williams, Ian (31 March 2026). "Tuanzebe sends DR Congo back to World Cup after 52 years". BBC Sport.
  15. ↑ "DR Congo declares national holiday after beating Jamaica to reach World Cup finals". BBC News. 1 April 2026. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  16. ↑ Horswill, Chloe (17 June 2026). "Portugal 1–1 DR Congo Stats: Wissa Earns Congo's First World Cup Point to Leave Portuguese Frustrated". theanalyst.com. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "DR Congo set up last-32 meeting with England after comeback win over Uzbekistan". The Guardian. 27 June 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Busbee, Jay (27 June 2026). "DR Congo vaults from despair to World Cup delirium — 'We write our story with a black pen'". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  19. ↑ Busbee, Jay (1 July 2026). "Harry Kane's late brace saves England from stunning upset against DR Congo". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "DR Congo STUNS England: Brian Cipenga Scores Goal to Take Early Lead". Fox Sports. 1 July 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Vertelny, Seth (1 July 2026). "DR Congo goalkeeper Mpasi denies England with several unreal saves". USA Today. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "En vivo | Estas son las selecciones que ganaron el repechaje y aseguraron su cupo para el Mundial 2026" [Live | These are the teams that won their play-offs and secured their place at the 2026 World Cup]. Primicias (in Spanish). 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  23. ↑ "Liste officielle" [Official squad] (in French). Congolese Association Football Federation. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026 – via Instagram.
  24. ↑ "Communiqué officiel" [Official communication] (in French). Congolese Association Football Federation. 20 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026 – via Instagram.
  25. ↑ Roberto Mamrud. "Congo-Kinshasa – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
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