The Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) has confirmed that head coach Sébastien Desabre will announce his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, 18 May, marking a major step in DR Congo’s preparations for the tournament.
The Leopards secured their place at the World Cup after progressing through the intercontinental play-offs against Jamaica in March, sealing a return to football’s biggest stage for the first time in 52 years.
DR Congo have been drawn in Group K, where they will face Portugal on 17 June, Colombia on 24 June and Uzbekistan on 28 June.
Fecofa said the squad will be revealed at 14:00 local time through its official social media platforms, with anticipation growing among supporters ahead of the announcement.
A week after naming his squad, Desabre will hold a press conference on 25 May at Fecofa headquarters in Kinshasa, where he is expected to explain his selection decisions and outline the team’s objectives for the tournament.
As part of their preparations, DR Congo will play two pre-World Cup friendlies. The first comes against Denmark on 3 June in Liège, Belgium, followed by a second match against Chile on 9 June in Marbella, Spain.
Before departing for those fixtures, the national team will also stage an open training session on 26 May at the Tata Raphaël Stadium, giving supporters a rare opportunity to interact with the squad.
Desabre has previously suggested he is not planning major changes to his core group, indicating continuity from the squad that reached the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, several selection questions remain unresolved, including possible recalls for Gédéon Kalulu, Gaël Kakuta, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Samuel Essende, who were absent from the March international window.
There is also growing attention around potential new faces, including Jorthy Mokio, who has reportedly switched sporting nationality to represent DR Congo, although eligibility issues remain following his involvement with Belgium earlier in 2025.
Afimico Pululu is another player under observation after an impressive club season in Poland, where he has scored 19 goals for Jagiellonia Białystok.
Midfielder Warren Bondo, currently on loan at Cremonese from AC Milan, is also being considered after committing his international future to DR Congo.
In defence, Desabre will be monitoring the fitness of Rocky Bushiri following a recent injury spell with Hibernian, as he looks to avoid late setbacks before finalising his tournament plans.
With the squad announcement just days away, attention across DR Congo is now firmly fixed on Desabre’s final choices and the country’s long-awaited return to the World Cup stage.
