DR Congo national football team

FIFA rankingCurrent 41 5 (20 July 2026)Highest28 (July–August 2017)Lowest133 (October 2011)First internationalBelgian Congo 3–2 Northern Rhodesia
(Belgian Congo; 22 May 1948)Biggest winCongo-Kinshasa 10–1 Zambia
(Kinshasa, Congo DR; 22 November 1969)Biggest defeatYugoslavia 9–0 Zaire
(Gelsenkirchen, West Germany; 18 June 1974)World CupAppearances2 (first in 1974)Best resultRound of 32 (2026)Africa Cup of NationsAppearances21 (first in 1965)Best resultChampions (1968, 1974)African Nations ChampionshipAppearances5 (first in 2009)Best resultChampions, (2009, 2016)COSAFA CupAppearances1 (first in 2016)Best resultFourth place (2016)

The DR Congo national football team (French: équipe nationale de football de la République démocratique du Congo; Lingala: lisanga ya ndémbô ya Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki), recognised by FIFA as Congo DR and by CAF as DR Congo, represents the Democratic Republic of the Congo in men's international football. It is controlled by the Congolese Association Football Federation. They are nicknamed Les Léopards, meaning The Leopards. The team is a member of FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). DR Congo have previously competed variously as Belgian Congo, Congo-Kinshasa and Zaïre.

DR Congo have been ranked as high as 28th in the FIFA Rankings. They won the Africa Cup of Nations twice (in 1968 as Congo-Kinshasa and in 1974 as Zaire), and were the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, as Zaire in 1974. They are also one of the most successful teams in the African Nations Championship with two titles (2009 and 2016), second only to Morocco with three. They qualified for the World Cup in 2026 as DR Congo, and are currently ranked 41st in the FIFA Rankings (July 2026).