Brian Cipenga

A Kinshasa-born forward who developed in Portugal before moving to Spanish football with CD Castellón, Brian Cipenga earned his first DR Congo call-up in October 2025 and was selected for the historic 2026 World Cup squad.

Born in Kinshasa, Cipenga relocated to Portugal as a youth, joining Boavista FC's academy. After his senior debut with Boavista's reserve squad in 2017–18, he progressed through several Portuguese clubs including SC Freamunde, FC Famalicão, Anadia FC, and FC Vilaverdense before his professional breakthrough at FC Paços de Ferreira in Liga Portugal 2 in August 2023.

In July 2024, Cipenga transferred to Spanish football, signing with CD Castellón in the Segunda División. His consistent performances earned a first international call-up for DR Congo's 2026 World Cup qualifiers in October 2025, and he subsequently featured in the 2025 AFCON squad. On 19 May 2026, he was named in coach Sébastien Desabre's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.