Wearing elegant black suits decked out with leopard-print sashes and matching bags, Congo’s World Cup team made a striking visual statement upon arrival in Houston for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The squad turned heads at George Bush Intercontinental Airport with their sharply tailored suits accented with leopard-print detailing — a deliberate nod to one of the country’s most recognisable cultural symbols.
The team is often referred to as ‘The Leopards’ — the animal is a sacred national symbol of power and resilience. The current national emblem of DR Congo depicts a leopard head, surrounded by an elephant tusk to the left and a spear to the right.
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The coordinated look immediately drew attention from fans, with the squad’s arrival quickly circulating on social media as one of the standout fashion moments of the tournament.
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The ensemble blended formal elegance with a distinctive national identity, reflecting both unity within the squad and pride in Congolese heritage.
They arrived in the US on Thursday, one of the last teams to travel, and face Portugal in their Group K opener in Houston on Wednesday. Colombia and Uzbekistan are the other two teams in the pool.
The Congolese squad are appearing at their first World Cup since the 1974 finals when they competed as Zaire, with high hopes of going deep into the knockout stages, both from the players and their fans.
The squad is determined to put their best foot forward even though ebola-related restrictions have kept fans home from the games. The deadly epidemic that has ravaged eastern parts of DRC is continuing to spread, World Health Organization (WHO) officials warned Friday.
One of the team’s stars, Aaron Wan-Bissaka of England’s West Ham United, told AFP they entered without any problems. The US imposed a 21-day isolation period on players in Belgium before they were allowed to enter.
