1:00 PMFS1
NRG StadiumHouston
GROUP K| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DR Congo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Uzbekistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
DR Congo (then Zaire) made history as the first sub-Saharan African team at the World Cup in 1974. They return 52 years later after winning the intercontinental playoff by beating Jamaica 1-0.
As Zaire, they won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1968 and 1974. As DR Congo, they won it again in 2025 — bridging two different eras and names for the same footballing tradition.
Congolese football has produced global stars like Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), and Chancel Mbemba. Many players of Congolese descent represent other nations due to the diaspora.