The Democratic Republic of Congo national team succeeded in writing a new historical chapter after securing a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, ending a long absence of more than half a century from the biggest global football event.

This achievement came after an exciting victory over Jamaica in the global playoffs with a score of one to zero, confirming the return of the 'Leopards' to the international stage with strength.

The decisive match saw clear Congolese superiority, but it required extra time to settle it, as Axel Tuanzebe scored the winning goal in the 100th minute after a corner kick, amidst a video technology review before the goal was confirmed.

This decisive goal granted Congo the penultimate qualifying ticket for the World Cup, in a match characterized by excitement and tension until the final moments.

This qualification is the second in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after their only participation in 1974 under the name 'Zaire', now returning with a new identity and greater ambitions, in the first edition of the World Cup featuring 48 teams. It also became the tenth representative of the African continent in the tournament, a historic number reflecting the development of African football.

The Congolese team will compete in the tournament within a strong group that includes Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan, where it hopes to present a different image from its previous participation, and write a new history reflecting the development of its current generation and its ambitions to compete on the global stage.