FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedules, Stats & Preview, TV Channel, Live Online Streaming & Predictions
DR Congo take on Uzbekistan on Saturday, knowing that a convincing win could see them usurp Portugal to finish second in Group K Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.
While Portugal take on pool leaders Colombia, DR Congo take on the Uzbeks in Atlanta.
Defeat for Roberto Martinez’s side would open the door for the Africans, but they also need to overturn a six-goal deficit.
It’s a tough request, but they’ll be happy to do it. Any win would almost certainly be enough for them to go through as one of the best third-place finishers.
“They (Uzbekistan) are a very good team, I know some players from there. They never give up. But we are the same, it should be a very good game.” – striker Simon Banza told Reuters. “We’ve had a goal since we arrived at the World Cup, and that’s to go far in the tournament.”
Uzbekistan can qualify, but they also need a resounding win, which seems like a tall order for a team coached by former Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro, who won the tournament as a player in 2006.
In the matches against Colombia and Portugal, they scored only one goal.
| P | V | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
| Colombia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Portugal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| DR Congo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 0 |
World Cup 2026: DR Congo – Uzbekistan news
DR Congo have a fully-prepared squad to choose from, although coach Sebastien Desabres could switch from five backs to a four-man defense given the need to score goals. That could lead to the recall of Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadika, who was unexpectedly left out of the starting line-up for the first two games.
There are no new issues in Uzbekistan.
