World football governing body FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have extended congratulatory messages to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) following their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
DR Congo secured their place at the tournament after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Jamaica in the intercontinental play-off final in Mexico in the early hours of Wednesday, with the match decided after extra time.
Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe netted the decisive goal in the first half of extra time, converting from a corner in the 100th minute. The effort was briefly checked for a possible handball before being confirmed.
The qualification marks DR Congo’s return to the World Cup for the first time since their appearance at the 1974 edition held in West Germany.
Reacting to the achievement, both FIFA and CAF took to their X platforms to commend the team. CAF wrote: “52 years later. The return was worth the run. Already proud, DRC. 🇨🇩🩵.”
FIFA also posted: “Dreams unlocked. 🔓🇨🇩 Congo DR are going to the #FIFAWorldCup.”
DR Congo reached the intercontinental play-off after defeating Nigeria’s Super Eagles 4-3 on penalties in November 2025 in Morocco, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
With their qualification, Africa will now have 10 representatives at the 2026 tournament, joining Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Cape Verde and South Africa.