FRA 18.7%
ARG 14.1%
ESP 13.9%
ENG 10.9%
POR 8.3%
Colombia edged DR Congo 1-0 in Group K as Daniel Muñoz struck on 76 minutes, with the Leopards' goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi resisting wave after wave before breaking.
What happened in Colombia 1-0 DR Congo?
Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 in Group K, with full-back Daniel Muñoz settling a one-sided contest on 76 minutes after the Leopards had spent the night absorbing pressure. The single most important takeaway is that Colombia's superiority eventually told, but only because a late change unlocked a defence that had held firm for over an hour.
The scoreline flattered no one and yet undersold the territorial story. Colombia controlled the match from the fourth minute, when Jhon Arias forced the first of many saves, and the half-time scoreline of 0-0 owed everything to the resistance of the DR Congo goalkeeper rather than any blunting of Colombian intent.
When the goal finally came it had a logic to it: a Colombian full-back arriving in the right side of the box, a substitute supplying the pass, and a finish into the corner that Lionel Mpasi could not reach. The tactical question of the evening was less whether Colombia would score and more when, and through whom.
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How did DR Congo's defensive setup keep Colombia out for so long?
DR Congo's plan was clear from the outset: concede territory, stay compact and trust their goalkeeper. It worked for 76 minutes. Mpasi was the central figure, saving from Arias, James Rodríguez, Johan Mojica, Luis Díaz, Gustavo Puerta and Davinson Sánchez before the interval alone, a sequence that turned a potential rout into a contest.
The Leopards' back line, marshalled by Chancel Mbemba alongside Steve Kapuadi and Axel Tuanzebe, repeatedly funnelled Colombia's attacks towards the angles where Mpasi could see the ball, conceding shots from outside the box and from wide rather than clean sights of goal. Many of Colombia's efforts were saved low to the bottom-right corner, a pattern that suggests a defensive shape designed to show shooters onto their weaker positions.
The early second-half save from Díaz on 50 minutes, after a James Rodríguez cross, was the moment DR Congo's game-management looked most assured. They had survived the first wave and were still level, and the longer the game stayed at 0-0, the more their low block looked like a viable route to a point.
Did Colombia's substitutions decide the match?
Yes, and decisively. Colombia's double change on 58 minutes reshaped the attack: Juan Fernando Quintero replaced James Rodríguez and Jhon Córdoba came on for Luis Suárez. It was Quintero who, eighteen minutes after entering, delivered the assist for Muñoz's winner, a direct return on a freshening of the creative line.
The decision to introduce Quintero added a different passing angle into the DR Congo box at precisely the point when the Leopards were making their own changes and risking a loss of structure. Colombia kept the same attacking ambition while refreshing the legs and ideas behind it, and the goal flowed from a full-back, Muñoz, exploiting the right channel that Colombia had targeted all evening.
Richard Ríos later came on for Arias on 78 minutes to help see the game out, and the final substitution pattern told its own story: Colombia changing personnel to sustain and then protect an advantage, having timed their key intervention to perfection.
How did DR Congo's in-game decisions shape the result?
DR Congo were proactive with their bench, but their changes were about survival rather than threat. Noah Sadiki replaced Ngal'ayel Mukau at half-time, Simon Banza came on for Cédric Bakambu on 57 minutes, and a double switch on 72 minutes saw Joris Kayembe and Charles Pickel introduced for Arthur Masuaku and Edo Kayembe.
Those 72nd-minute changes are worth scrutinising through a tactical lens, because the winning goal arrived four minutes later. Reshuffling two outfield positions simultaneously can momentarily disturb a low block's cohesion, and Colombia struck while DR Congo were still settling into their new shape. Whether cause or coincidence, the timing was unkind to the Leopards.
DR Congo offered little going the other way, with the match events recording no saves at the Colombian end for Camilo Vargas to make. Their game-management bought them 76 minutes of resistance, but with no outlet to relieve the pressure, the model always depended on Mpasi holding out for the full ninety, and he could not quite manage it.
What does the result mean for Group K?
On the rankings, Colombia were the heavy favourites: 13th in the world to DR Congo's 46th, and carrying far shorter title odds. The 1-0 win therefore follows the form line, and three points is three points, but the narrow margin and the volume of saves required will give Colombia plenty to review.
For a side billed as Copa América finalists with serious attacking flair, converting just one of a long list of chances is the obvious talking point. The finishing, rather than the creation, is where Colombia fell short, and against sharper opponents that profligacy could prove costly later in the group.
For DR Congo, back at the finals after 52 years, there is defensive credit to bank even in defeat. They limited a strong attacking team to a single goal and had a goalkeeper who can hold his head high. The challenge now is to add an attacking threat to that resilience, because a plan built almost entirely on resistance leaves no margin when it finally breaks.
Frequently asked
What was the final score of Colombia vs DR Congo?
Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 in their Group K fixture on 23 June 2026. The game was goalless at half-time before a late winner settled it.
Who scored for Colombia against DR Congo?
Daniel Muñoz scored the only goal on 76 minutes, with a left-footed shot from the right side of the box into the bottom-right corner. Juan Fernando Quintero provided the assist.
Why did it take Colombia so long to score?
DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was outstanding, making at least eight saves to keep the score level until Muñoz's 76th-minute strike finally beat him.
Was Colombia 1-0 DR Congo an upset?
No. Colombia entered ranked 13th in the world to DR Congo's 46th and were the pre-match favourites, so the win followed expectation, even if the margin was narrow.
