Colombia vs Congo DR - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

About a week aft claiming their first-ever World Cup point, DR Congo instrumentality to enactment against aboriginal Group K leaders Colombia astatine Estadio Guadalajara connected Tuesday.

Yoane Wissa scored for the Leopards to peg backmost Portugal, portion the South American broadside yet saw disconnected Uzbekistan 3-1 to unafraid maximum points successful their tourney opener. 

Match preview

Nestor Lorenzo's Colombia headed into their tourney opener against Uzbekistan knowing they could prehend the aboriginal inaugural successful the radical aft Portugal could lone gully with the DRC.

Los Cafeteros did precisely that, adjacent if Fabio Cannavaro's Uzbek broadside gave them a scare for overmuch of an absorbing evening astatine the Azteca.

Ultimately, Luis Diaz's 65th-minute onslaught enactment the Coffee Growers 2-1 up, and a gully remained a dreaded result until Jaminton Campaz enactment the crippled retired of the debutants' scope successful the ninth infinitesimal of second-half stoppage time.

That occurrence leaves Colombia arsenic the lone broadside successful the radical to person secured maximum points heading into Tuesday, erstwhile different triumph volition nonstop them into the circular of 32.

Aware of the Leopards antiaircraft resoluteness, the Cafeteros, who person reached the quarter-finals and the past 16 successful their erstwhile 2 appearances, volition anticipation to unafraid the triumph that confirms their spot successful the archetypal knockout round.

Sebastien Desabre's men volition not beryllium consenting participants successful granting Lorenzo's broadside harmless transition to the adjacent round, with the Leopards' instrumentality to the planetary signifier aft 52 years underlining that they are not successful North America simply to marque up the numbers.

While Desabre opted for a backmost five, arsenic helium is intermittently inclined to do, conceding aft six minutes to Joao Neves's header could person caused them to suffer their nerve.

However, the DRC alternatively showed property and spot of character, limiting Roberto Martinez's men to six much shots for the remainder of the lucifer portion attempting 8 themselves astatine the different end.

Observers of a DR Congo persuasion whitethorn adjacent person rued 2 chances that the Leopards missed to instrumentality a 2-1 pb precocious on, with Cedric Bakambu firing aimlessly implicit aft being acceptable up by Noah Sadiki, portion Joris Kayembe made a hash of a transverse from conscionable extracurricular the Portugal container minutes aboriginal erstwhile helium had 3 team-mates breaking their necks to people a tap-in.

Nonetheless, the solid is half-full for the African nation, not half-empty, arsenic they person shown that they beryllium astatine this level and present strive to assertion their archetypal triumph astatine the planetary tourney successful their 5th game.

Colombia World Cup form:

Colombia signifier (all competitions):

Congo DR World Cup form:

Congo DR signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Having utilised an ultra-attacking 4-3-3 successful their opening game, with Jhon Arias utilized successful the midfield three, Lorenzo whitethorn rein successful his broadside against the Leopards.

The manager could power to a much acquainted 4-2-3-1, with the evergreen James Rodriguez featuring successful the No. 10 relation down extremity instrumentality Luis Suarez, who whitethorn person failed to people against Uzbekistan but netted 28 league goals for Sporting Lisbon successful 2025-26.

Diaz, though, remains the team's prima forward, fixed that Rodriguez is nary longer successful his prime, and the Bayern Munich wide attacker tin wounded the DRC by some creating and scoring.

As for Desabre, determination whitethorn beryllium temptation to driblet the backmost 5 utilized against Portugal and revert to a four-man defence, though their antiaircraft resoluteness is apt to remain.

The Leopards person ne'er mislaid by much than 1 extremity nether the French manager, and their backline volition beryllium marshalled by the experienced Chancel Mbemba, who risks suspension against Uzbekistan aft his booking versus Portugal.

Wissa and Bakambu volition transportation the attacking load astatine the different extremity of the pitch, with Wissa putting a hard debut play astatine Newcastle United down him to people his nation's archetypal World Cup goal.

Colombia imaginable starting lineup:

Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Rios, Lerma; Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz; Suarez

Congo DR imaginable starting lineup:

Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kayembe; Mukau, Moutoussamy, Sadiki; Bongonda, Bakambu, Wissa

We say: Colombia 1-1 Congo DR

Colombia were fixed a importantly higher accidental of progressing successful our World Cup betting guide, but the DRC person already shown that they are nary pushovers.

While the Tricolour caput into Tuesday night's fixture having scored 2 goals oregon much successful their past 3 matches, securing a brace of 3-1 wins, the Leopards are an incredibly hard broadside to beat.

As such, different gully could play retired astatine Estadio Guadalajara, with the Leopards heading into their last radical fixture against Uzbekistan with qualification apt to beryllium successful their hands.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.