Congo DR at the World Cup 2026
Group K · CAF
Congo DR are group stage in 1974 (as Zaire) and line up in Group K at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first 48-team edition of the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, Mexico. They face Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia in the group stage. For US (soccer) fans, all Congo DR kickoff times below are shown in Eastern and Pacific as well as GMT. Below: the full Congo DR schedule, kickoff times, group rivals and our model's match predictions.
Congo DR World Cup 2026 Schedule
Kickoff times in US Eastern (ET) and Pacific (PT) are converted automatically from each match's scheduled time; confirm against your local broadcaster.
Congo DR's World Cup 2026 group: how hard is it?
Drawn into Group K, Congo DR share their section with Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia. None of the rivals have lifted the trophy before, so on paper this is one of the more open groups — qualification is there for the taking. Uzbekistan arrives at a first-ever World Cup, an unknown quantity for Congo DR to plan around. With four confederations potentially represented, styles clash here, and the new 48-team format means the top two go through automatically while the third-placed side still has a realistic route into the Round of 32.
Congo DR's opening fixtures and what to watch
Congo DR open against Portugal (away), then meet Colombia before closing the group against Uzbekistan. Group-stage points are usually decided in the first two matchdays, so that opener carries real weight. Our prediction model reads each of these games through recent form, opponent strength and a Dixon-Coles Poisson grid — see the projected scorelines and win probabilities on our World Cup 2026 predictions page.
Congo DR World Cup history
Historically, Congo DR's best World Cup return is group stage in 1974 (as Zaire). In 2026 they travel to North America, with matches spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Group K — Congo DR's rivals
For match-by-match analysis and predicted scorelines, see our World Cup predictions. You can also view the full Group K table and fixtures, browse all 12 groups and the knockout bracket, or check the complete World Cup 2026 schedule with US kickoff times.