DR Congo and Denmark played to a goalless draw on June 3, 2026, in a World Cup warm-up friendly held in Liege, Belgium [1, 2]. The match was the Congolese team's first test ahead of their return to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years.
A scheduled friendly against Chile on June 1, 2026, in Spain was cancelled by the local mayor despite the Congolese squad already preparing in Belgium [1, 2]. Denmark, who missed out on the 2026 World Cup after losing a penalty shootout to the Czech Republic in the European playoffs in March 2026, served as sparring partners rather than tournament opponents [1, 2].
DR Congo qualified for the 2026 World Cup through a challenging campaign that saw them eliminate Cameroon and Nigeria in African continental playoffs in November 2025 before defeating Jamaica in an inter-confederation playoff in March 2026 [3]. Their last World Cup appearance was in 1974 as Zaire, when they lost all three matches including a 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia [3].
French coach Sebastien Desabre, who has led the team for almost four years, has maintained a consistent squad selection and stressed the importance of team spirit. He said, "Those experiences have made us stronger and more resilient, and they've led us to this. After all the hard work the players and the staff have put in over the last three years, they've thoroughly earned it," and added, "We are extremely proud because a whole generation hasn't been able to see its national team in the World Cup but now they will see them there" [3].
Most of DR Congo's squad is Europe-born, mainly from Belgium, France, and Switzerland, and includes London-born Aaron Wan-Bissaka [3]. The team hopes to move past the negative memories of 1974 and make a stronger showing.
DR Congo will open their Group K World Cup campaign against Portugal on June 17, 2026 [1, 2].
