After a 52-year wait, DR Congo has finalized its squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, headlined by two English Premier League-based talents: West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa.
Wan-Bissaka, a 28-year-old born in Croydon, south London, has a well-documented history with England’s youth international setup. He represented the Three Lions at the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and earned a call-up to the senior men’s national team that same year, but never earned a senior cap. The former Manchester United full-back made the decision to switch his international allegiance to DR Congo in August 2025, and has since earned nine international appearances for the Central African nation, nicknamed the Leopards.
For Wissa, his World Cup call-up marks a return to the international fold after a challenging 12 months. The striker moved to Newcastle from Brentford in the summer of 2024, but his first season with the Magpies has been disrupted by a mix of inconsistent form and recurring injury issues. He was left out of DR Congo’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but has earned a recall for the sport’s biggest global tournament.
The squad also includes a number of other notable selections, including Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe, another player with English youth international experience. However, one late change was forced after Hibernian centre-back Rocky Bushiri suffered a suspected Achilles injury during his club’s 1-0 loss to Motherwell in early March. Bushiri was forced to withdraw from the squad, and Kilmarnock defensive midfielder Aaron Tshibola was called in to replace him.
Other familiar names in the squad include Watford midfielder Edo Kayembe, Sunderland full-back Noah Sadiki, and a surprise recall for 34-year-old veteran attacking midfielder Gael Kakuta. The former Chelsea youth product has only earned two caps for DR Congo in the last two years, but his experience has seen coach Sebastien Desabre add him to the tournament squad.
DR Congo will enter the World Cup finals in Group K, where they will face tough competition against European powerhouse Portugal, South American side Colombia, and Asian representative Uzbekistan. This tournament marks DR Congo’s first appearance at the World Cup since 1974, when the country competed under its former name Zaire at the tournament hosted by West Germany. That 1974 campaign ended in disappointment for the side, who lost all three of their group stage matches, including a 9-0 thrashing at the hands of Yugoslavia. The tournament is still remembered for one infamous moment: Zaire defender Mwepu Ilunga broke out of the defensive wall during a Brazil free-kick to boot the ball away, a moment that was caught on camera and remains one of the most memorable oddities in World Cup history.
Full DR Congo 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)
Defenders: Dylan Batubinsika (Larisa), Gedoon Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Lodz), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Racing Lens), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor), Gael Kakuta (Larisa), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock)
Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)