DR Congo earned their first-ever World Cup point against Portugal in their return to the tournament after 52 years. Now they face Colombia, who opened their campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. The predicted lineups for the Group K clash at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara reveal how each side plans to approach a match that could define both teams’ tournament.
Colombia need a result to seal their place in the Round of 32. DR Congo, back at the World Cup for the first time since a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in 1974, look to build on the point that Yoane Wissa’s header secured in Houston. The lineups, published before kickoff, show Colombia’s attacking intent and a DR Congo side reshaped into five at the back. The predicted XIs capture the tactical split: one team built to control the game, the other built to survive it.
A Group K Clash With Qualification on the Line
Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings together Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in a group that has already delivered one of the tournament’s headline moments. After the first round of matches, Colombia sit on three points from their 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. DR Congo hold one point from their 1-1 draw with Portugal, a result that secured their first World Cup point since the country competed as Zaire in 1974.
Colombia’s position is the stronger one heading into matchday two. A second win would leave them needing only a draw from their final group game against Portugal to guarantee a place in the Round of 32. DR Congo’s task is narrower and more delicate. Avoid defeat against Colombia and keep their qualification hopes alive going into the final round against Uzbekistan, then hope other results go their way. The squad that Sébastien Desabre leads spent three weeks in Belgium in quarantine before the tournament due to an Ebola outbreak back home, a disruption that made the point against Portugal feel heavier than the table alone suggests. As the match report on DR Congo’s draw with Portugal noted, the loud pockets of Congolese support in Houston were ecstatic at witnessing the country’s first World Cup point in over five decades.
Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan on June 23, covered in detail in Ronaldo’s record sixth World Cup in the same group, lifted the Portuguese to four points and kept the group tight. The predicted XIs for the Group K clash reflect those stakes. Colombia name an attacking side built around James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz, unchanged from the side that beat Uzbekistan. DR Congo line up with five at the back, a structure designed to absorb pressure and spring counters through the pace of Wissa and the experience of Cedric Bakambu.
- Portugal 1-1 DR Congo (June 17, Houston)
- Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia (June 18)
- Wissa goal: 45+5′ (DR Congo’s first ever World Cup goal)
- Neves goal: 6′ (Portugal)
- DR Congo’s first World Cup match since 1974
Colombia’s Predicted XI
Colombia manager Néstor Lorenzo keeps faith with the side that beat Uzbekistan. Camilo Vargas starts in goal behind a back four of Daniel Munoz, Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi, and Johan Mojica. James Rodriguez anchors the midfield alongside Jefferson Lerma and Gustavo Puerta, with Jhon Arias, Luis Suarez, and Luis Diaz forming the front three. The system is a 4-3-3 built to control possession and create chances through the flanks, the same shape that tore through Uzbekistan’s defence three days earlier.
Rodriguez, at 34, remains the creative hub, pulling the strings from a deep-lying playmaker role. Diaz provides the pace and direct running on the left, the combination that produced Colombia’s second and third goals against Uzbekistan. Munoz and Mojica push high from full-back, giving the side natural width and overlapping options down both flanks.
- GK: Camilo Vargas
- DEF: Daniel Munoz, Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi, Johan Mojica
- MID: James Rodriguez, Jefferson Lerma, Gustavo Puerta
- FWD: Jhon Arias, Luis Suarez, Luis Diaz
DR Congo’s Predicted XI
DR Congo manager Sébastien Desabre reshapes his side after the draw with Portugal. Lionel Mpasi starts in goal behind a five-man defence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, Dylan Batubinsika, and Arthur Masuaku. The midfield three of Edo Kayembe, Samuel Moutoussamy, and Noah Sadiki sits in front of the back line, with Yoane Wissa and Cedric Bakambu leading the line. The shape is a 5-3-2, a system designed to frustrate Colombia’s attacking play and hit on the counter.
Wissa, who scored DR Congo’s first ever World Cup goal against Portugal with a header from an Arthur Masuaku corner on the stroke of half-time, is the main threat on the break. FIFA’s report on the historic goal described the strike as the moment that “pegged back Portugal” and sent the Congolese fans into celebration. Bakambu, the veteran forward, provides the physical presence and hold-up play that allows Wissa to run the channels.
The squad’s preparation was disrupted by an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, which forced the team to spend three weeks in Belgium in quarantine before travelling to North America. Desabre called the point against Portugal a reward for the squad’s resilience through that period. The predicted XI suggests a team set up to repeat the formula: defend deep, stay compact, and trust the counter. Colombia’s quality in possession will test whether that approach holds for ninety minutes.
We gave everything and we are delighted.
Sébastien Desabre, DR Congo manager, after the 1-1 draw with Portugal (The Guardian, June 17, 2026)
- GK: Lionel Mpasi
- DEF: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, Dylan Batubinsika, Arthur Masuaku
- MID: Edo Kayembe, Samuel Moutoussamy, Noah Sadiki
- FWD: Yoane Wissa, Cedric Bakambu
Where the Tactical Battle Sits
The contrast in systems sets up a clear tactical battle. Colombia’s 4-3-3 relies on width, possession, and attacking full-backs. DR Congo’s 5-3-2 is built on defensive solidity, compact lines, and counter-attacking speed.
The key matchup is on the flanks. Colombia’s wingers, Arias and Diaz, will test DR Congo’s wing-backs, Wan-Bissaka and Masuaku. Wan-Bissaka, the former Manchester United defender, is one of the best one-on-one defenders in the squad. His duel with Diaz could decide which side controls the game’s territory and which side is forced into longer possessions.
DR Congo’s best hope is a repeat of the Portugal result: absorb pressure, stay compact, and hit on the counter through the forward’s pace. Colombia’s quality in possession should eventually tell, but DR Congo’s resilience has already been tested against a Portugal side that included Cristiano Ronaldo. If Mbemba and Tuanzebe can marshal the centre, and Wan-Bissaka can contain Diaz, DR Congo have a route to a result.
Colombia’s advantage lies in depth and game management. Lorenzo can call on Richard Rios, Juan Quintero, and Jhon Cordoba from the bench, the same options who changed the game against Uzbekistan. Desabre’s alternatives are thinner, with Simon Banza and Nathanael Mbuku the most likely substitutes if the system needs adjustment. The midfield three of Rodriguez, Lerma, and Puerta will look to control the tempo against Kayembe, Moutoussamy, and Sadiki. Whoever wins the central third wins the territory battle. Whoever wins the territory battle wins the game.
| Aspect | Colombia | DR Congo |
|---|---|---|
| Formation | 4-3-3 | 5-3-2 |
| Defenders | 4 | 5 |
| Midfielders | 3 | 3 |
| Forwards | 3 | 2 |
| MD1 result | 3-1 win vs Uzbekistan | 1-1 draw vs Portugal |
The Stage in Guadalajara
The match was played at the Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Guadalajara, on June 24, with Italian referee Maurizio Mariani in charge. The official Group K match centre recorded the fulltime result as Colombia 1, DR Congo 0, with Daniel Muñoz scoring in the 76th minute to seal Colombia’s place in the Round of 32. The goal came from a set piece, the kind of moment that DR Congo’s defensive system is designed to prevent. Colombia’s bench depth, the very quality that separated the two sides, made the difference when the game tightened.
The result leaves DR Congo needing a win against Uzbekistan in the final group game to keep their qualification hopes alive. Group K after two rounds: Colombia 6 points, Portugal 4, DR Congo 1, Uzbekistan 0. The predicted lineups told one story; the result told another, and Colombia’s 1-0 win keeps their tournament on track.
