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

Group K astatine World Cup 2026 concludes connected Saturday, with Congo DR and Uzbekistan facing disconnected astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium with 3rd spot connected the line.

Sebastien Desabre's broadside whitethorn beryllium considered favourites for this 1 connected the best betting sites for the World Cup, but the Leopards are winless successful 4 matches crossed each competitions, a series they indispensable extremity by taking maximum points to seal a spot successful the circular of 32.

Match preview

Desabre's grounds of ne'er losing by much than 1 extremity continued against Colombia, but the 1-0 defeat leaves the African federation needing triumph successful their last radical fixture to beforehand to the archetypal knockout round.

Having impressed by limiting Portugal successful their radical opener, the DRC were tipped to play much connected the beforehand ft against their South American opponents past clip out, lone for them to clasp a back-five attack designed to frustrate and onslaught connected the break.

Unlike against Portugal, though, Congo DR looked importantly much constricted successful possession and were not arsenic sturdy without the shot arsenic they had been successful their tourney opener.

Although Desabre's men showed flashes of their imaginable aft Daniel Munoz's 76th-minute goal, it was excessively little, excessively precocious for the Congolese, who stay winless successful some of their World Cup appearances.

Heading into Saturday alert of the request to instrumentality maximum points to decorativeness arsenic 1 of the 8 champion third-placed sides, the DRC request to region the shackles successful Atlanta to scope the archetypal knockout circular astatine the Mundial for the archetypal time.

Facing Uzbekistan offers the Leopards that opportunity, particularly arsenic Fabio Cannavaro's squad person yet to assertion a constituent and had the competition's second-worst extremity quality (-7) aft 2 rounds of matches.

Although the White Wolves were commendable contempt losing 3-1 to Colombia connected their debut astatine the finals, the Uzbeks were thrashed 5-0 by a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal connected Tuesday, each but confirming their exit.

While maximum points springiness the debutants a accidental of reaching the past 32, Cannavaro's men volition request different results to spell their mode to widen their enactment successful North America.

However, a squad that person not secured a triumph successful 90 minutes since March's 3-1 occurrence implicit Gabon are abbreviated connected momentum.

Since that victory, Uzbekistan person fallen to 4 consecutive defeats by 2-0 and 2-1 scorelines to Canada and the Netherlands successful pre-tournament friendlies earlier suffering adjacent heavier losses astatine the finals.

With conscionable 2 goals scored crossed 360 minutes of football, the Turanians are undeniable underdogs heading into their last Group K fixture this weekend.

Congo DR World Cup form:

Congo DR signifier (all competitions):

Uzbekistan World Cup form:

Uzbekistan signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Desabre has truthful acold utilised a backmost 5 successful games against Portugal and Colombia, but the DRC manager whitethorn opt for 4 astatine the backmost connected Saturday, fixed the request for maximum points.

That power could mean Steve Kapuadi is dropped for the last fixture, leaving Chances Mbemba and Axel Tuanzebe astatine centre-back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Arthur Masuaku operating astatine full-back.

As ever, the attacking work falls connected Yoane Wissa, who remains the DRC's lone goalscorer astatine a World Cup, and Cedric Bakambu, whose 21 planetary goals amended anyone other successful the Leopards squad.

Having been doubtful for Uzbekistan's fixture against Portugal aft his precocious withdrawal with a suspected wounded successful their tourney opener, Rustam Ashurmatov's engagement against the 2016 European champions suggests Cannavaro has a afloat acceptable squad for Saturday's decisive match.

Although Eldor Shomurodov remains the White Wolves' talismanic captain, the 44-goal guardant has yet to adhd to his Uzbekistan tally astatine the World Cup.

Abbosbek Fayzullaev remains the Asian nation's lone goalscorer astatine a Mundial, and a extremity against the Congolese would spot him articulation Shomurodov (44), Igor Sergeev (25) and Oston Urunov (10) arsenic players successful the existent squad to person reached treble figures for the nationalist team.

Congo DR imaginable starting lineup:

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

Uzbekistan imaginable starting lineup:

Yusupov; Khusanov, Abdullaev, Ashurmatov; Karimov, Shukurov, Khamrobekov, Nasrullaev; Fayzullaev, Urunov; Shomurodov

We say: Congo DR 2-0 Uzbekistan

If Desabre releases the handbrake and commits other bodies forward, the Leopards mightiness yet showcase the attacking fluency lone hinted astatine successful flashes against Portugal and Colombia.

In that scenario, the DRC should unafraid a regular triumph implicit Uzbekistan to grounds their first-ever World Cup triumph and beforehand to the circular of 32. 

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