We will have to wait a little longer, but the Democratic Republic of Congo is starting to glimpse the American continent. Sensation of the Africa zone, the DRC achieved a historic performance by taking out Cameroon then Nigeria in the Final 4 of the play-offs for its continent.
Chancel Mbemba and his teammates are therefore closer than ever to realizing their dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup. And unlike other nations involved in the play-off, the Leopards will only have one step to take.
The DRC will play its place at the World Cup in one match
With its FIFA ranking (60th), the Democratic Republic of Congo is already qualified for the play-off final and will therefore play its place at the World Cup in a dry match. The Leopards are
exempt from the first round of this mini-tournament organized in March 2026. 57th in the FIFA rankings, Iraq is the other non-European nation benefiting from this advantage. Despite this, these countries will be affected by the draw for the play-offs this Thursday. Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname and Bolivia are the DRC’s potential adversaries.
