We are proud - FIFA reacts as DR Congo qualify for World Cup after 52 years

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have officially secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a historic return to football’s biggest stage after more than five decades.

The Congolese side booked their place at the global tournament following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Jamaica in their intercontinental playoff final held in Mexico in the early hours of Wednesday.

Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe emerged as the match-winner, scoring the decisive goal in the first half of extra time.

The defender bundled the ball over the line from a corner in the 100th minute, though the goal was briefly subjected to a VAR check for a possible handball before being confirmed.

The tightly contested encounter had ended goalless in regulation time, with both teams struggling to break the deadlock before Tuanzebe’s intervention sealed DR Congo’s passage.

Following the historic qualification, the World football governing body, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took to social media to celebrate the achievement.

CAF praised the team’s long-awaited return, posting, “52 years later. The return was worth the run. Already proud, DRC.”

FIFA also hailed the moment, writing, “Dreams unlocked. Congo DR are going to the #FIFAWorldCup.”

This qualification marks DR Congo’s second appearance at the World Cup, with their only previous outing coming in 1974 when the tournament was hosted in West Germany.

Their journey to qualification was anything but straightforward. The Leopards had earlier defeated Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the African playoff stage, triumphing 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Morocco.

With DR Congo’s qualification, the number of African teams set to feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has risen to ten.