DR Congo Roar Back to Beat Uzbekistan 3-1 at World Cup 2026

From a goal down to a Round of 32 ticket

There are few better stories at this World Cup 2026 than a side that falls behind early and finishes the night dancing. DR Congo did exactly that at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, recovering from an early Uzbekistan strike to win 3-1 and secure their place in the knockout rounds.

The numbers underline how comprehensively DR Congo controlled the contest once they settled. They generated 2.35 expected goals (xG, a measure of chance quality) to Uzbekistan's 0.20, created three big chances to none, and held 58% of possession. They mustered four shots on target to Uzbekistan's solitary effort. For long stretches it was one-way traffic; the only surprise was how long the scoreboard refused to reflect it.

With four points from three matches, DR Congo finished third in Group K and, crucially, sit top of the third-placed rankings — provisionally enough to reach the Round of 32. Uzbekistan, by contrast, ended on zero points with a goal difference of minus nine, and are out of the group stage.

How DR Congo and Uzbekistan lined up in Atlanta

Shomurodov's strike, a VAR heartbreak, then chaos

The script flipped early. In the tenth minute Eldor Shomurodov pounced on a pass from Abdukodir Mozgovoy to put Uzbekistan ahead, against the run of everything that would follow. DR Congo thought they had a swift reply on 17 minutes through Noah Mbuku, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review, and the cards started to flow — Nathan Sadiki, then Mbuku, both booked before the break, with Uzbekistan's Abdukodir Khusanov joining them.

The second half was where DR Congo's pressure finally told. A first change saw Fiston Mayele come on for Cédric Bakambu just after the hour mark looked imminent, and on 68 minutes Yoane Wissa converted from the penalty spot to level the game. The momentum was unmistakable now. On 78 minutes Mayele turned his introduction into a goal to put DR Congo ahead, vindicating the substitution entirely. Then deep into stoppage time, in the 90+1 minute, Wissa struck again — this time set up by Meschack Elia, who had come on for Mbuku earlier — to round off a 3-1 win in style.

The community backed DR Congo — just not this loudly

The futbol.so community read the favourite correctly: there was a clear consensus leaning towards DR Congo, with the most-chosen scoreline a cautious DR Congo 1-0. That instinct carried across borders too, with fans in Colombia and Argentina favouring the same narrow result and England's readers nudging towards a 2-0 DR Congo win.

What nobody quite forecast was the early Uzbekistan goal — or the emphatic comeback that followed. The official model, which gave DR Congo comfortably the best chance of the three outcomes, landed the result exactly on the nose: DR Congo 3-1. So the community got the winner right and simply underestimated the margin once DR Congo found their rhythm.

Video highlights

Résumé : RD CONGO - OUZBÉKISTAN, un moment HISTORIQUE pour les Léopards ? (J3)

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Alt Cast Highlights: Congo DR v Uzbekistan | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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Highlights | Congo DR 3-1 Uzbekistan | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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FIFA WC 2026 | DR Congo - Uzbekistan 3:1 | Group K | 3. kolo

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HIGHLIGHTS - DR Congo v Uzbekistan | Decisive Game in Group K | FIFA World Cup 2026

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Doppio WISSA per scrivere la storia | RD Congo-Uzbekistan 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | DAZN Highlights

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Yoane Wissa Goal | Congo DR 3-1 Uzbekistan | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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Fiston Mayele Goal | Congo DR 3-1 Uzbekistan | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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Congo DR 🆚 Uzbekistan #FIFAWorldCupOnFT

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Yoane Wissa Leads DR Congo Into Round Of 32 | DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan RECAP

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Post-Match Player Interviews: Congo DR 3-1 Uzbekistan

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World Cup: Congo DR vs Uzbekistan

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World Cup: Congo DR vs Uzbekistan

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World Cup: Congo DR vs Uzbekistan

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World Cup: Congo DR vs Uzbekistan

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For DR Congo, the reward is a Round of 32 ticket and the satisfaction of a result that matched the performance. They now wait to see who they will face in the knockout phase. Uzbekistan, despite the early lead, leave the World Cup 2026 group stage without a point, their tournament over but their goal in Atlanta a moment to keep.