World Cup: DR Congo crash to first defeat as Colombia advance to round of 32
By Luke Oluoch, June 24, 2026Colombia has become the latest team to clinch a spot in the round of 32 of the World Cup finals after beating a hard-fighting Congo DR 1-0 in the thrilling Group K encounter on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz was the match winner, grabbing a 76th-minute goal in a frenetic end to the match that saw Luis Diaz’s two goals chalked off for offside.
The victory places the South American nation as the second from the continent, along with Argentina, to maintain a perfect record in the ongoing championship.
Colombia will top the group standings with a draw or win against Portugal in their final group match.
DR Congo, led by Sébastien Desabre, approached their second FIFA World Cup 2026 group match in Guadalajara, targeting the first victory in their tournament history.
The Leopards had earned a historic maiden World Cup point on matchday one by holding Group K favourites Portugal to a 1-1 draw. as Yohan Wissa’s second half equaliser secured the team’s first goal on a World Cup stage.
Meanwhile, Colombia had started their campaign strong, edging Uzbekistan 3-1 to sit atop the group. Knowing a victory would secure them a place in the knockout phase, Colombia pressed hard, but the Leopards matched their threat and held firm through a tightly contested first half.
The match reached its turning point in the second half when Colombia manager introduced Juan Fernando Quintero, who entered the fray to replace veteran skipper and former World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodríguez.
The tactical switch immediately injected life into the South American side, who began asserting themselves with far more intensity in the final third.
The decisive blow came with less than 20 minutes left on the clock when right-back Daniel Muñoz popped up to score, breaking the deadlock and putting the wind back in Colombia’s sails.
Diaz comes close
Colombia could have easily walked away with a 3-0 victory if not for the assistant referee’s flag, which twice denied star winger Luis Díaz back-to-back goals. Díaz first saw a brilliantly taken strike chalked off for offside before another sublime curler past the Congolese goalkeeper met the exact same fate just moments later.
DR Congo thought they had snatched a dramatic late equalizer in the dying minutes, but the Colombian custodian proved alert, producing a fine save to keep out a venomous low drive from outside the box.
Despite the narrow defeat, the Leopards remain on the cusp of making history. Having clinched their first-ever World Cup point against Portugal on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, DR Congo can still secure qualification to the round of 32 if they earn maximum points against Uzbekistan in their final group stage encounter.