Colombia vs – Colombia and the DR Congo meet in Guadalajara on Tuesday, June 23 / Wednesday, June 24, after Colombia started with a 3–1 win over Uzbekistan and the DR Congo earned a 1–1 draw with Portugal. The match could decide early momentum in Group K, with predicted lin
The pitch lights at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara are ready, but the question hanging in the air is simple: who turns a good start into control?
Colombia and the DR Congo collide on Tuesday night in their World Cup second match after different kinds of momentum. Colombia kicked off its campaign with a 3–1 win over Uzbekistan. a result that lifted the mood quickly and left the squad with something tangible to chase now: a win that would confirm its place in the knockouts before their Matchday 3 duel against group favorites Portugal.
The DR Congo, meanwhile, didn’t come to Guadalajara with a Matchday 1 victory. It finished 1–1 against Portugal, a scoreline built around early tension and late perseverance. Portugal went ahead when João Neves headed the Iberians into an early lead. and the Leopards held firm long enough for the game to swing back just before halftime. Yoane Wissa’s strike at the cusp of half-time gave the DR Congo its first World Cup point in the tournament’s history—after it failed to score when it competed as Zaire in 1974.
There’s a second storyline running under the surface, too. Colombia’s Néstor Lorenzo’s men swaggered through their opening match and could become outsiders this summer. especially if they end up winning Group K at Portugal’s expense. The DR Congo. with its disciplined performance against Portugal. has shown it can frustrate top teams and potentially hold Los Cafeteros when the game turns stretched.
When you look at the record, Colombia’s confidence has a specific shape. After losing to a Roger Milla-inspired Cameroon in 1990, Colombia has won all three World Cup games against African nations by a single goal: 1–0 vs Tunisia in 1990, 2–1 vs Ivory Coast in 2014, and 1–0 vs Senegal in 2018.
That matters in matches like this—especially when Colombia’s tournament history also shows it can handle assignments it’s expected to win. They were last beaten by a nation that sat below them in FIFA’s world rankings in November 2024.
The tempo on the field could be led by Luis Díaz, whose World Cup debut already came with proof. Díaz—now linked with Bayern Munich—recorded 29 goal contributions in 32 Bundesliga games last season, and he started this tournament by scoring in Colombia’s win over Uzbekistan.
Colombia’s projected approach centers on players who can break into a deep-lying defense. For this match, the predicted Colombia lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation is:
Vargas; Muñoz, Sánchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Ríos, Puerta; Arias, Rodríguez, Díaz, Suárez.
Richard Ríos comes into Colombia’s midfield. James Rodríguez. who was the babyfaced hero during Colombia’s run to the quarterfinals in 2014. is still part of the conversation in the squad background. but the plan here points to another spark. Suárez. from Sporting CP. is also expected to play—after a prolific season in Portugal—carrying five goals in 13 caps for the national team.
Ríos is particularly notable in this context because he was a surprise absentee from Néstor Lorenzo’s side last time out. For Colombia, the possibility is either an introduction of Ríos or an unchanged team—either way, the target is the same: keep momentum and turn it into knockout certainty.
On the other side. Sébastien Desabre is set to mirror the basic blueprint the DR Congo used against Portugal. with the expectation that it can adapt against Colombia’s speed in wide areas and on the counterattack. Even Portugal’s possession share was the lowest of all nations on Matchday 1. and yet the DR Congo forced enough moments to earn its point.
Desabre’s one key tweak could be the introduction of Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki into the DR Congo engine room. Yoane Wissa will operate at top again—having equalized against Portugal—and he’s expected to play alongside Cedric Bakambu. Defensively. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s one-on-one defending will be tested by Díaz. with Axel Tuanzebe. Chancel Mbemba. and Arthur Masuaku in an experienced back line.
The predicted DR Congo lineup in a 5-3-2 formation is:
Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kapuadi, Masuaku; Kayembe, Moutoussamy, Sadiki; Wissa, Bakambu.
The scheduling makes the stakes feel immediate. The match is set for Guadalajara, Mexico, with the venue listed as Estadio Akron. The date is Tuesday, June 23 / Wednesday, June 24, and the kickoff time is 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT / 3 a.m. BST (June 24). The referee assigned is Maurizio Mariani (ITA).
Broadcast details depend on country: in the United States. FOX Network. fuboTV. Telemundo. and Telemundo Deportes en Vivo are listed; in Canada. TSN+. TSN1. TSN3. TSN4. TSN5. RDS. and RDS App; in Mexico. Azteca 7. Azteca Deportes en Vivo. and ViX Mexico; and in the United Kingdom. ITV 1 UK. ITVX. STV Scotland. and STV Player.
Colombia vs DR Congo is also framed as a crossroads for group positioning. Colombia will be chasing the chance to confirm its spot in the knockouts with a win, while the DR Congo will be trying to carry the kind of first-point momentum that began when Wissa struck before halftime against Portugal.
With both sides arriving on the back of very specific first impressions—Colombia’s 3–1 over Uzbekistan. the DR Congo’s 1–1 with Portugal—the match’s outcome could come down to whether Colombia can get through the defense it needs to crack. or whether the Leopards can do what they showed in their opener: absorb pressure. wait for openings. and make every moment count.
Prediction for the match: Colombia 1–0 DR Congo.
Colombia vs DR Congo World Cup Estadio Akron Guadalajara Luis Díaz Yoane Wissa Néstor Lorenzo Sébastien Desabre predicted lineups
Guadalajara again? Feels like every big match is in that same stadium lol.
So Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and DR Congo drew Portugal 1-1… meaning DR Congo’s basically already qualified right? Seems like momentum decides everything.
Yoane Wissa scored right before halftime like that’s the whole game plan? I didn’t know World Cup history had “Zaire” still in it, I thought that was a different league or something. Also Colombia “outsiders”?? They look pretty solid from the first match.
Pitch lights at Estadio Akron but the real question is who controls… so basically who has the ball more? Not sure why they’re talking about Portugal’s “expense” like Portugal is the bill. If DR Congo frustrates them then Colombia will just try to boot it long and hope, thats usually how this goes.