2026 World Cup: DR Congo fall to Chile in final friendly 

The Democratic Republic of Congo concluded their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Chile in a closed-door international friendly played in Orleans, France, on Tuesday.

The match marked the Leopards’ final outing before travelling to the United States for the global tournament, bringing an end to a challenging build-up that was affected by logistical and health-related concerns.

The encounter was originally scheduled to take place in Cadiz, Spain, but was later moved to Orleans and played without spectators. Authorities in Cadiz reportedly cancelled the fixture due to public health concerns linked to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The relocation added another layer of disruption to the African nation’s World Cup preparations as the team sought valuable match practice ahead of the tournament.

After a tightly contested first half ended goalless, Chile broke the deadlock seven minutes after the restart through Dario Osorio.

The South Americans extended their advantage in the 86th minute when Matias Sepulveda found the back of the net, putting the result beyond immediate reach for the Congolese side.

DR Congo responded late through Joris Kayembe, who pulled a goal back in the 88th minute, but it was not enough to prevent defeat as Chile held on for the win.

The match comes amid ongoing scrutiny over health protocols surrounding DR Congo's participation at the World Cup. United States authorities have informed participating teams that players and staff must have been outside the Democratic Republic of Congo for at least 21 days and remain symptom-free before entering the country for the tournament.

Despite the challenges, the Leopards remain on course for their World Cup campaign.

DR Congo are expected to travel to their tournament base in Houston on Thursday before beginning their Group K campaign against Portugal six days later.

The Leopards will then face Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23 before concluding the group stage against Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.