Congo DR

DR Congo, nicknamed Les Léopards, are two-time African champions (1968, 1974) and made history in 1974 as the first Sub-Saharan African team at a World Cup — and now return to the tournament in 2026 for the first time in 52 years under coach Sébastien Desabre.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo national team, then competing as Zaire, emerged as a continental powerhouse in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They won back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations titles in 1968 and 1974, and that same year became the first Sub-Saharan African nation to appear at a FIFA World Cup, participating in the 1974 tournament in West Germany. Despite a heavy 9–0 defeat to Yugoslavia in the group stage, the appearance was a landmark for African football.

After the high-water mark of the 1970s, DR Congo — renamed following the fall of Mobutu's regime — experienced decades of inconsistency. The team regularly featured in AFCON qualifying but failed to recapture continental glory or reach another World Cup, cycling through coaching regimes and suffering from the country's broader political instability. A new generation of European-based players including Yoane Wissa, Gaël Kakuta, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka began to shift the picture.

Under Sébastien Desabre, DR Congo secured World Cup qualification for 2026 after defeating Jamaica in the inter-confederation playoff — their first tournament appearance in 52 years. Captain Chancel Mbemba leads a squad combining European-based stars with domestic talent; ranked 46th globally, Les Léopards are considered one of CAF's most dangerous teams heading into the tournament.