‘They gave their best’: Congolese reflect on historic World Cup run

Published 3 July 2026 · sports

The Leopards’ first World Cup in more than 50 years united Congolese supporters, despite defeat to England. Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo – DR

The Leopards’ first World Cup in more than 50 years united Congolese supporters, despite defeat to England. Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo – DR Congo’s remarkable World Cup journey may have ended with defeat to England in the last 16, but for many Congolese, the Leopards have rewritten the country’s World Cup story. More than five decades after their only previous World Cup appearance, the Leopards united a country scarred by conflict, disease outbreaks and political uncertainty, mounting a fearless campaign that gave millions of Congolese a rare sense of unity. “It’s rare that I feel proud to be Congolese. During this World Cup, our national team made us proud, as if nothing were wrong. I believe I am witnessing the greatest generation in the history of the DRC,” Héritier Muyisa, a 28-year-old student in Bunia, told Al Jazeera. From Zaire in 1974 The contrast with 1974 could hardly have been sharper. Then playing as Zaire, the Leopards lost all three matches without scoring, suffering heavy defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil. “We were a great nation back then. Losing by such heavy score lines without scoring a single goal felt like a curse,” Lukambila Jacques, 65, who watched the Leopards’ first World Cup campaign, told Al Jazeera.

No player embodied the Leopards’ revival more than Yoane Wissa. His three goals made him DR Congo’s first World Cup scorer and the country’s leading scorer in the tournament’s history. His towering header against Portugal ended a 52-year wait for a World Cup goal and convinced many supporters that the Leopards belonged on football’s biggest stage. “I didn’t expect young people like them – like us – to make more than 100 million people proud,” Dorcas Mudimo, a 26-year-old resident of Bunia, told Al Jazeera after the defeat to England. “It’s a source of pride for the whole of Central Africa.” Making history The Leopards’ run was built on a series of milestones that steadily transformed hope into belief. The breakthrough against Portugal earned DR Congo a draw and sparked celebrations from Kinshasa and Goma to Bunia. “I thought we’d be content just to qualify for the World Cup. But our players showed we could compete with Portugal, Spain and other major nations,” Manassé Limbaya told Al Jazeera, describing the campaign as “stellar” from the qualifiers onwards. “We beat Cameroon and Nigeria before overcoming Jamaica in the intercontinental playoffs. That’s when we knew this team was capable of something special.” The Leopards drew with Portugal, beat Uzbekistan, and narrowly lost to Colombia before their dream ended against England in the round of 16.