GUADALAJARA, Mexico – A 76th-minute strike from right-back Daniel Muñoz has secured Colombia a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, punching Los Cafeteros’ ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage and leaving the underdog Congolese side on the brink of elimination.
For more than three-quarters of the Group K clash, DR Congo’s organized defense and a sensational early performance from goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi frustrated Colombia’s high-powered attack. Mpasi, whose team entered the match ranked 47th globally, turned away five difficult scoring chances for Colombia in the opening 20 minutes alone, keeping the heavily favored South American side off the score sheet through much of the contest.
Muñoz broke the deadlock when a deflected pass fell to him inside the 18-yard box, and the full-back buried a crisp left-footed strike past Mpasi, who had no chance to stop the effort. The goal marked Muñoz’s second of the tournament, and it proved to be the difference despite a tense late flurry from DR Congo. In stoppage time, DR Congo came agonizingly close to grabbing an equalizer twice: first, Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas produced a spectacular save to deny Nathanael Mbuku’s long-range effort, then he pushed away Chancel Mbemba’s header from the subsequent corner kick to preserve the clean sheet and the win.
Colombian star forward Luis Díaz saw two late goals ruled out in consecutive minutes in the second half: the first disallowed for a foul in the 79th minute, and the second called back for an offside decision one minute later.
The result cements Colombia’s position atop Group K with six points from two opening matches, holding a two-point lead over second-place Portugal and a five-point advantage over DR Congo. Earlier the same day in Houston, Portugal delivered a dominant 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan, with captain Cristiano Ronaldo netting a brace in the victory.
DR Congo, which is making just its second World Cup appearance and first in 52 years, caught global attention in its opening match with a shock 1-1 draw against Ronaldo’s Portugal. The underdog side has faced significant disruptions to its World Cup run, however: an Ebola outbreak in its home country disrupted preparations, and travel restrictions have prevented hundreds of Congolese fans from traveling to the tournament in North America. One high-profile fan who overcame quarantine barriers to attend the Guadalajara match was Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who earned viral fame during the Africa Cup of Nations for holding a silent statue pose in honor of assassinated Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. Mboladinga maintained his iconic pose for the full 90 minutes of Tuesday’s clash after missing DR Congo’s opening draw due to quarantine rules.
Colombia, which missed out on qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, enters its final group stage match against Portugal on Saturday sitting in a strong position. Ranked 11th in the world – third among South American nations behind only Brazil and Argentina – Colombia opened its campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. A draw against Portugal will be enough for Colombia to claim the top spot in Group K, and the same result would also see Portugal advance to the knockout round.
The match also marked a milestone for Colombian playmaker James Rodríguez, who earned his 10th World Cup appearance, joining Colombian legends Freddy Rincón and Carlos Valderrama as the only players to reach that mark for the nation. Colombia heads into the final group stage match with a historic unbeaten streak in open play, having never finished a World Cup fixture scoreless across 23 previous tournament appearances.