Colombia vs DR Congo | FIFA World Cup 2026- Group Stages | Preview and Predictions

A confident and swaggering Colombia face DR Congo knowing that victory will be enough to secure their spot in the Round of 32, but they will be wary of the threat and quality that their opponents possess, making them a tricky opposition to navigate in this crucial Group K fixture.

Here is our Preview and Predictions for the game.

FIFA WC26 | Group K: COL vs COD | 07:30 IST, 24 June, 2026

Colombia surged to a 3-1 victory over World Cup debutants Uzbekistan, but not after they were given an almighty push and shove by the Central Asian nation.

However, despite the hard work and the intensity shown by the Uzbeks, Los Cafeteros had enough quality and flair in their ranks coupled with an indefatigable desire to keep running as they eventually got the better of their opponents.

While Daniel Munoz and talisman Luis Diaz rightly stood out as they got on the scoresheet with well-taken goals of their own, it was Crystal Palace man Jefferson Lerma who was the man of the moment for the Colombians with his shift and hard graft of doing the dirty work in the middle of the park that kept the Colombians ticking in attack for the majority of the contest.

Colombia, though, will be guilty of the fact that they let the game get too passive for their liking in the early exchanges of the first half which allowed the Uzbeks to grow in stature as the game progressed. It took Diaz to raise the team up from their slumber, and they eventually began to take control of proceedings.

While the win was all and well and good, the game against Congo will be much better and a sterner test for a side harbouring aspirations for a deeper run in the World Cup.

As for DR Congo, they matched up against Portugal and emerged with a very creditable 1-1 draw against them which does their reputation absolutely no harm. It was their first-ever point in World Cups and getting it against Portugal was a massive feather in the cap of a side who have been on the ascendancy for a while now.

The point feels more deserving given the adversities they had themselves faced before the World Cup. A 3-week quarantine in Belgium due to an ebola outbreak, but despite these odds, they fought. The forward pairing of Cedric Bakambu and Yoanne Wissa put almighty shifts up top with their relentless running and hold-up play, with Wissa rising tallest to nod in Congo’s equaliser from the corner.

The midfield was hardworking and industrious, led by the tireless Samuel Moutoussamy while the defense was all hands on deck and held their own against their much more illustrious opponents.

This is bound to be a clash between two sides who will be relying on their attackers to deliver the goods for them. While Colombia will be reliant on Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez, Congo will once again look to Bakambu and Wissa to do the heavy lifting for them.

We believe that this game will end in a draw, but if we had to pick a narrow favourite, we would give the edge to Colombia.

Score Prediction: Colombia 1-1 DR Congo

Venue: Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan.