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Estadio Akron, Guadalajara (Mexico)
Wednesday 24 June 2026, 3:00 AM BST
Victory over DR Congo will see Colombia secure passage to the knockout stages as both teams meet at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara in the early hours of Wednesday for round two of the 2026 World Cup campaign in Group K.
Los Cafeteros enter this encounter sitting top of their bracket after a commanding 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan on Matchday 1, while the Leopards produced one of the stories of the opening round by holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw in Houston. Football betting interest in Group K has risen sharply after both results.
Preview: Colombia vs DR Congo
Colombia were impressive in the opening fixture against Uzbekistan at Mexico City, registering 61% possession and generating 1.61 xG across the 90 minutes.
Daniel Munoz opened the scoring on 40 minutes following a well-worked move finished off a Luis Diaz assist, before Fayzullaev equalised for Uzbekistan on the hour mark.
Diaz restored the lead five minutes later with a strike from the edge of the area that the Uzbek goalkeeper failed to hold, and Jaminton Campaz sealed the victory in the ninth minute of added time with a header from a Cucho Hernandez cross.
Nestor Lorenzo has built a settled side, and Colombia have won four of their last six matches, with the only defeats coming in March friendlies against France (1-3) and Croatia (1-2).
Los Cafeteros sit 13th in the FIFA world rankings and boast considerable Premier League experience through the likes of Munoz and Jefferson Lerma, both of Crystal Palace, alongside European talent at the highest level in Diaz at Bayern Munich and Jhon Lucumi at Bologna.
DR Congo wrote a remarkable chapter at this tournament by holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw in Houston on Matchday 1, in an encounter that marked the Leopards’ return to the World Cup after 52 years, having last appeared at the global tournament in 1974 as Zaire.
Yoane Wissa headed home from an Arthur Masuaku cross following a short corner in first-half stoppage time (45+5′), delivering the first Congolese goal at a World Cup.
The underlying data from the Portugal match tells a compelling story: DR Congo generated 0.87 xG from eight shots compared to Portugal’s 0.65 xG from seven, despite holding just 32% of possession.
The Leopards won 55% of their duels against Portugal, demonstrating the physical strength and tactical discipline that Sebastien Desabre’s compact 5-3-2 is built around.
Before the tournament, DR Congo’s form was mixed: victories against Bermuda (2-0) and Jamaica (1-0 after extra time), a goalless draw with Denmark, a 2-1 defeat to Chile, and a 1-0 loss to Algeria in extra time. Boylesports price DR Congo at around 7.50 to win this match outright, reflecting the significant quality gap between the sides – see our BoyleSports sportsbook review for a full breakdown of their World Cup markets.
Team news: Colombia vs DR Congo
Colombia
Nestor Lorenzo have no injury concerns ahead of this second group match and are expected to name an unchanged side from the Uzbekistan victory.
James Rodriguez, the 34-year-old captain with 127 caps, played the full 90 minutes on Matchday 1 and remains the creative fulcrum of this side in his third World Cup after 2014 and 2018.
Gustavo Puerta, the 22-year-old Racing Santander midfielder, started against Uzbekistan and registered an assist, cementing his place in the Colombian midfield alongside the experienced Lerma.
Luis Suarez of Sporting CP is expected to continue leading the line, with Jhon Arias of Palmeiras completing the midfield three.
DR Congo
DR Congo seemingly have no fresh injuries from matchday one and Desabre is expected to retain the same tactical setup that frustrated Portugal so effectively, with five defenders and two forwards.
Chancel Mbemba, the 31-year-old captain with 110 caps, received a yellow card against Portugal and will need to exercise caution in this fixture.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham United was one of the standout performers defensively against Portugal and will continue at right wing-back.
Ngal’ayel Mukau, the 21-year-old Lille midfielder, is the breakout player of this squad and played a key role in the transitions that troubled Portugal on the counter-attack.
Colombia vs DR Congo predicted XIs
Colombia predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Lerma, Puerta; J Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz; Suarez
Colombia
DR Congo predicted XI (5-3-2): Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kapuadi, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Kayembe, Mukau; Bakambu, Wissa
DR Congo
Head-to-head: Colombia vs DR Congo
Colombia and DR Congo have never met in international football, making this Group K fixture at the 2026 World Cup the first encounter between the two nations.
Without any head-to-head record to draw upon, recent form and squad quality are the only reliable indicators for this fixture.
The 33-place gap in the FIFA world rankings (13th for Colombia, 46th for DR Congo) reflects a significant disparity in quality that the bookmakers have priced accordingly, with Colombia heavy favourites to take all three points.
Our Colombia vs DR Congo prediction and tips
- Colombia have scored in all six of their most recent matches, demonstrating attacking consistency regardless of the opposition
- DR Congo won seven of their 10 games in Group B of the African qualifiers, but the standard of opposition was considerably below what Colombia offer
- Colombia lead Group K with three points and a goal difference of +2, while DR Congo sit on one point with a neutral goal difference
- Diaz registered 49 goal involvements in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich in 2025/26, confirming his outstanding form heading into this tournament
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi is a sports writer with more than 1,000 published articles covering football and major sporting events worldwide. His knowledge spans leagues across the globe, including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Combining research, insight and creativity, he enjoys finding fresh angles and delivering engaging coverage of the game's biggest stories.