Colombia will look to secure a place in the round of 32 when they face DR Congo at Estadio Akdron in Guadalajara on Tuesday in their second Group K fixture at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Los Cafeteros are the only team in the group to have won their opening match after overcoming Uzbekistan 3-1, while Congo earned a historic first World Cup point by holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw. With Portugal already dropping points, Colombia know that another victory would put them in a commanding position before the final round of group fixtures.
Congo, however, arrive with growing belief after proving that they can compete with one of Europe’s strongest sides. The Leopards may be outsiders, but their opening performance showed that they are in North America to challenge rather than simply participate.
Colombia entered their first Group K match against Uzbekistan knowing that Portugal’s draw with Congo had created an opportunity. A victory would give Nestor Lorenzo’s side an early advantage in the qualification race, and while they were made to work hard for it, Los Cafeteros eventually secured the three points.
Uzbekistan gave Colombia a genuine scare, and the South American side struggled at times to put the contest away, and the match remained in the balance long after the hour mark. However, Luis Diaz’s 65th-minute strike restored Colombia’s lead and proved to be the decisive moment.
The result leaves Lorenzo’s team as the only Group K side with maximum points after matchday one. A second victory would send them into the knockout rounds with a game to spare, a position that would allow Lorenzo to approach the final fixture with far greater freedom.
Colombia also carry encouraging recent World Cup experience as they reached the quarter-finals in 2014 and the round of 16 in 2018, showing that they are capable of making an impact beyond the group stage. This squad has enough technical quality, attacking depth and tournament experience to believe that another strong run is possible.
However, Congo will provide a very different challenge to Uzbekistan. They are likely to be more compact, more aggressive without the ball and more dangerous in transition. Colombia will need patience and quicker circulation if they are to create clear openings against a side that has already shown its defensive resilience.
Congo made history in their opening fixture by claiming their first-ever World Cup point. Sebastien Desabre’s side fell behind after only six minutes when Joao Neves headed Portugal into the lead, but the Leopards did not lose their composure.
The tactical battle will be fascinating as Colombia are likely to dominate possession and try to use Luis Diaz, Jaminton Campaz and their midfield runners to pull Congo out of shape. The Leopards, meanwhile, will look to remain compact, frustrate their opponents and exploit any spaces left behind when Colombia push forward. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Colombia
Colombia are expected to have a largely unchanged squad available for their second Group K fixture against Congo. No fresh injury concerns have been reported following the 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, giving Nestor Lorenzo the freedom to make tactical adjustments rather than enforced changes.
There are no suspension concerns for Colombia heading into this match. Lorenzo’s main decision is likely to concern the overall structure of the side, as he may opt for a more controlled approach against a Congo team that showed strong defensive organisation and counter-attacking threat in their draw with Portugal.
Colombia used an ultra-attacking 4-3-3 formation in the opening match, with Jhon Arias operating as part of the midfield three. While that setup produced a win, it also left the side exposed at times, and Lorenzo may decide to shift into a more familiar 4-2-3-1 system for this contest, with Camilo Vargas starting in goal.
Daniel Munoz should operate at right-back, where his energy and overlapping runs can provide width in possession. Davinson Sanchez is likely to start as one of the centre-backs, bringing leadership, strength and recovery pace, while Jhon Lucumi, alongside, should showcase composure. Johan Mojica is expected to continue at left-back, supporting Diaz and providing another outlet down the flank.
In midfield, Richard Rios should operate as one of the two deeper players, using his energy and ball-carrying ability to help Colombia progress through central areas. Jefferson Lerma is expected to partner him, providing defensive protection, physicality and control in front of the back four.
Up forward, Jhon Arias is likely to start on the right side of the attacking midfield line, offering movement, pressing and support around the penalty area. Veteran star James Rodriguez should operate centrally as the number 10, where he can link midfield and attack with his creativity. Luis Diaz is expected to begin on the left, giving Colombia pace, direct running and goal threat from wide areas.
Luis Suarez should lead the line as the central striker. He will look to occupy the Congo centre-backs, attack crosses from the full-backs and combine with Rodriguez, Arias, and Diaz in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Rios, Lerma; Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz; Suarez
Congo DR
Congo could make a tactical change for their Group K meeting with Colombia, as Sebastien Desabre may be tempted to move away from the back-five system that helped his side earn a historic 1-1 draw with Portugal. A switch to a four-man defence would give the Leopards an extra player higher up the pitch, although their defensive organisation and compactness are still expected to remain central to the game plan.
There are no fresh injury concerns reported for Congo ahead of this fixture. However, captain Chancel Mbemba will need to be careful after receiving a booking against Portugal, as another yellow card would leave him at risk of suspension for the final group match against Uzbekistan. His leadership, experience and ability to organise the defensive line will be crucial against Colombia’s attacking quality.
Congo are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Lionel Mpasi starting in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka should operate at right-back, where his one-on-one defending and recovery pace will be important against Colombia’s wide attackers. Chancel Mbemba is likely to start as one of the centre-backs, alongside Axel Tuanzebe, with Joris Kayembe expected to start at left-back.
In midfield, Noah Sadiki should operate as one of the central players, using his energy and ball-winning ability to help Congo compete against Colombia’s technical midfield. Samuel Moutoussamy is expected to play centrally, providing discipline, possession security and defensive cover. Ngal’ayel Mukau should complete the midfield trio, offering strength, running power and support in both phases of play.
Further up the field Theo Bongonda is likely to start on the right wing, where his pace and dribbling can give Congo an outlet when they break forward. Cedric Bakambu should lead the line as the central striker, using his movement and experience to stretch Colombia’s defensive line. Yoane Wissa is expected to start from the left wing, where he can cut inside, attack space behind the defence and provide the Leopards’ main goal threat.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kayembe; Mukau, Moutoussamy, Sadiki; Bongonda, Bakambu, Wissa
Key Stats
- Colombia are the only team in Group K to have won their opening match, after overcoming Uzbekistan 3-1.
- A victory over Congo would send Colombia into the round of 32 with one group match still to play.
- Congo earned their first-ever World Cup point by drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their opening fixture.
- This is the first meeting between Congo and Colombia at the senior level of international football.
Player to Watch
Luis Diaz
The Bayern Munich winger scored Colombia’s crucial second goal in the 65th minute, restoring their lead at a stage when the match was still finely balanced. His pace, direct dribbling and ability to create danger from the left make him Colombia’s most unpredictable attacker.
Congo DR defended impressively against Portugal, so Los Cafeteros may need individual quality to break through their compact shape. Diaz is capable of carrying the ball past defenders, creating openings in tight areas and arriving in scoring positions when the opposition focuses heavily on James Rodriguez and Luis Suarez.
With Colombia able to secure qualification for the round of 32 with another win, Diaz will be expected to provide the attacking spark once again. If he can find space behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka and attack the left channel early, Colombia should have a strong chance of taking control of the match.
Prediction
Colombia 2-1 Congo DR
Colombia, particularly if they can keep their defensive shape intact, can avoid making the same mistakes Portugal did vs Congo. However, Colombia possess more attacking depth and have already shown the ability to find goals from different areas of the pitch. Los Cafeteros may need patience, but they should eventually have enough quality to edge a tight game.