The DR Congo national football team have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing their first appearance at the tournament since 1974, when they competed as Zaire.
The Leopards booked their place with a 1-0 extra-time victory over the Jamaica national football team in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, with Axel Tuanzebe scoring the decisive goal in the 100th minute.
The defender, who plays for Burnley FC, emerged the hero of the encounter, sealing a historic return to the global stage for the Central African nation.
The result sparked wild celebrations in Kinshasa, where jubilant fans flooded rain-soaked streets, dancing late into the night.
“We gave it our all, right here in the rain!” said Beni Ile, a supporter draped in a soaked national flag.
“We won’t be working on Wednesday. It’s going to be a national holiday. We’re going to celebrate and party all night long. We’ve been waiting 50 years for this.”
Across the city of about 17 million people, the final whistle was greeted with a chorus of car horns, whistles and the banging of pots, as residents celebrated a long-awaited return to the World Cup.
Earlier in the day, many fans had already donned the team’s sky-blue jerseys in anticipation of the decisive match.
DR Congo’s qualification campaign was marked by notable victories, including eliminating African heavyweights Nigeria national football team and Cameroon national football team en route to the playoff.
The team will now face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
At their only previous appearance in 1974 in West Germany, then known as Zaire, they were eliminated after defeats to Scotland national football team, Yugoslavia national football team and Brazil national football team.
The latest qualification also brings Africa’s representation at the tournament to a record 10 teams.
