The historic journey of the Congo team
This year's tournament marks the first time in 52 years that the Congo team has played again at the World Cup.
Among the 26 players of the team participating in the 2026 World Cup, 20 were born outside Congo.
Some of their players have played for European national teams, including England - the opponent they are about to face. Defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka was born in London and played for the England national team at the U21 level.
Defender Axel Tuanzebe also played for the England national team at the youth level and may face former teammate Marcus Rashford at Atlanta.
Finding and recruiting players with dual nationality has become extremely important for the Congolese national team to increase competitiveness in the international arena.
Wan-Bissaka is one of the people who initially needed to be persuaded. This defender was once recruited by Man United for £50 million when he was only 21 years old. He quickly seized the opportunity after the opportunity to play for the England national team was not much.
As the reputation of the Congolese national team increased, more and more players wanted to join the team to compete in international tournaments.
Midfielder Noah Sadiki once represented Belgium at the youth level and is almost certain to become a pillar of the Red Devils if the Sunderland midfielder does not change his decision. The reason, according to him, is that there is a new generation of players who want to help the people in the country.
Historical change
The Congo team participated in the World Cup for the first time in 1974 under the name Zaire. At that time, they lost all 3 matches, conceding 14 goals without scoring any.
More than half a century has passed, the new generation of Congolese football has brought fans many reasons for hope.
After passing the play-off round, the Congo team faced a difficult preparation process. Due to the Ebola outbreak, the US imposed a 21-day isolation period on the Congo team in Belgium before they were allowed to enter.
But the team led by Sebastien Desabre, a Frenchman, overcame all difficulties.
They caused a shock in their World Cup opening match when they drew 1-1 with Portugal. After losing 0-1 to Colombia, the Congo team must beat Uzbekistan to get a ticket to the next round. Despite being led early, the African team won against Uzbekistan 3-1 to reach the round of 32.
The next challenge for the Congo team is the England team - one of the championship candidates. But with overcoming many adversities, they are confident that they will create a surprise and continue to nurture a big dream.
England vs Congo match will take place at 11:00 PM on July 1st.
