Congo stun Uzbekistan 3-1 to end South Korea's World Cup knockout hopes

DR Congo reach knockout stage for first time in their history, 52 years after debut

South Korea miss out on round of 32 for first time in 8 years

Piston Mayele of DR Congo celebrates in front of cheering fans after scoring the winning goal in a 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan in the Group K finale of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia on Sunday. [AP]

DR Congo's comeback victory over Uzbekistan on Sunday eliminated South Korea's last hope of advancing to the round of 32.

Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia in the Group K finale of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was the central African nation's first-ever World Cup win — 52 years after they first appeared at the tournament in 1974 under the name Zaire.

With the result, Congo finished third in Group K with four points (one win, one draw, one loss), behind Colombia, who drew goalless to finish with seven points (two wins, one draw), and Portugal, who also drew to finish with five points (one win, two draws). Uzbekistan ended the group stage at the bottom with no points from three losses.

Congo's third-place finish ranked highest among all third-place teams, earning them a round-of-32 berth and marking the country's first-ever knockout-stage appearance at a World Cup.

Players from DR Congo and Uzbekistan battle for the ball during the Group K finale of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia on Sunday. [Xinhua]

With Congo's advancement confirmed, South Korea dropped to ninth among all third-place teams, extinguishing the faint hope the squad had clung to until the final whistle.

Uzbekistan, widely considered the underdogs, defied expectations by taking the lead just 10 minutes in, when Eldor Shomurodov curled a left-footed lofted shot into the right corner of the Congo net.

Congo struggled to create chances before the game turned in the 66th minute, when Yoan Wissa received a cross inside the penalty area and was brought down by Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, and Wissa stepped up to convert the penalty himself in the 68th minute, leveling the score at 1-1.

Riding the momentum, Congo completed the turnaround in the 78th minute through Piston Mayele's decisive goal. Wissa then added a third in the first minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-1 victory.

In the other Group K match played simultaneously, Colombia and Portugal drew 0-0.

yjc@heraldcorp.com