DR Congo book date with England after advancing to Knockout stage
By Joel Masibo, June 28, 2026The Democratic Republic of the Congo secured a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 after fighting back from behind to defeat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their final Group K encounter at Atlanta Stadium on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
The impressive comeback ensured the Leopards progressed as one of the tournament’s eight highest-ranked third-placed teams. Colombia finished top of the group, while Portugal claimed second after the two sides played out a scoreless draw. DR Congo’s qualification ended South Korea’s hopes of advancing, while Iran’s fate remained undecided.
Both teams entered the decisive fixture still searching for their first victory of the tournament. DR Congo had earned a draw against Portugal before narrowly losing to Colombia, while tournament debutants Uzbekistan had suffered defeats in both of their previous matches.
Decisive moment
The stakes were high for both nations. DR Congo required all three points to keep their World Cup campaign alive despite all odds on and off the pitch, while Uzbekistan not only needed a victory but also a convincing winning margin to stand any chance of progressing.
Uzbekistan started brightly and almost found the net within moments, but Eldor Shomurodov’s early effort was ruled out for offside.
The striker eventually broke the deadlock in the 10th minute after a well-worked attacking move. Akmal Mozgovoy delivered a perfectly weighted chipped pass, allowing Shomurodov to delicately lift the ball over goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
DR Congo believed they had restored parity shortly afterwards when Nathanael Mbuku unleashed a powerful strike, only for the goal to be overturned following a VAR review that detected a foul in the build-up.
Both sides continued to create opportunities before halftime. Dostonbek Khamdamov forced Mpasi into a save with a dangerous cross-shot, while Chancel Mbemba fired wide at the opposite end.
The contest remained open after the restart. Yoane Wissa narrowly missed the target for DR Congo, while Shomurodov came close again as his first-time effort landed on top of the net.
Turning point
The turning point came in the 68th minute when Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov brought down Wissa inside the penalty area. The Newcastle United forward stepped up and calmly converted the resulting spot-kick to level the score.
DR Congo completed the turnaround ten minutes later. Meschack Elia’s deflected effort fell kindly for Fiston Mayele, who produced a composed finish by lifting the ball over advancing goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov.
As Uzbekistan pushed forward in search of an equaliser, the Leopards struck one final blow late in the match. Wissa collected possession just outside the penalty box before firing a powerful shot into the corner to seal a memorable 3-1 victory.
The result sends DR Congo into a last-32 showdown with England at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Elsewhere, Colombia will meet Ghana at Kansas City Stadium on Friday, July 3, 2026, while Portugal takes on Croatia at Toronto Stadium on Thursday, July 2, 2026.