DR Congo Returns to World Cup After 52 Years
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- DR Congo qualified for the 2026 World Cup — their first appearance since 1974 — beating Uzbekistan and drawing Portugal before advancing to face England in the round of 32.
- Mobutu Sese Seko threatened his players and their families that they would not 'return home safely' if they lost to Brazil by more than three goals, after withholding promised financial rewards following their opening 2-0 defeat to Scotland.
- Ilunga Mwepu sprinted out of the wall to kick away Rivelino's free kick in the 85th minute against Brazil, later telling L'Équipe: 'I wanted a red card… Why would I stay on the field and take the risk of not returning home?'
- After a 9-0 thrashing by Yugoslavia during a player strike, Mobutu pivoted from soccer to boxing, organizing the 'Rumble in the Jungle' between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in October 1974.
- East Germany upset West Germany 1-0 in the group stage via Jürgen Sparwasser's goal, while Dynamo Berlin — owned by the Stasi — won 10 consecutive DDR-Oberliga titles from 1979 to 1988.
- Michel Mboladinga, a DR Congo supporter denied a U.S. visa for the opening matches, attended the Colombia game standing motionless throughout — the source describes it as another reminder of how closely politics and sport remain intertwined.
Why it matters: DR Congo's return to the World Cup after 52 years ties a modern African football story to the most politically charged tournament in history, underlining how authoritarian power still bleeds into the sport. The Mwepu incident shows the human cost: a player deliberately sabotaging a match to escape a dictator's retribution. Their 2026 round-of-32 clash with England is a stage the 1974 squad never reached.
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