DR Congo vs Uzbekistan — World Cup 2026 Group K — Matchday 3: Odds & Prediction

Two heavy outsiders meet at BC Place Vancouver — DR Congo's first WC since 1974 against Uzbekistan's debut tournament

Kickoff: 27 Jun 2026, 15:00 ET (12:00 PT · 15:00 ET · 20:00 BST)

Venue: BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia (cap. 54,500)

Stage: Group K — Matchday 3

Odds: DR Congo 2.55 · Draw 3.26 · Uzbekistan 2.86

27 Jun 15:00 ET

BC PLACE · VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA · 54,500

DR Congo

FIFA #55

Uzbekistan

FIFA #57

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Editor's prediction for DR Congo vs Uzbekistan

Mike Betoray

Lead odds analyst · 22 May 2026 · 6 min read

Two heavy outsiders meet in the parallel kickoff to Colombia-Portugal. DR Congo's first World Cup match since 1974 vs Uzbekistan's debut World Cup match. Both squads need a famous result to keep third-place tiebreaker mathematics alive.

Read full prediction · +150 words

Why DR Congo are the favourites

DR Congo arrive with greater individual European-club experience. Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Mbemba (Marseille), Bakambu (Real Betis) and Wissa (Newcastle) provide top-five-league quality that Uzbekistan's spine (Khusanov of Manchester City notwithstanding) doesn't entirely match.

DR Congo finished CAF qualifying unbeaten (6W/4D/0L). The defensive structure under Desabre conceded only 5 goals across 10 matches — strong tournament reference.

Where DR Congo can get hurt

Abdukodir Khusanov is the squad's defining individual. The Manchester City centre-back has 18 caps and arrived at the tournament fresh from his £40m January 2025 club move. His positional quality and pace coverage at international level has been tournament-grade.

Eldor Shomurodov (Roma) leads the line. His Serie A experience plus the 28 international goals from 75 caps suggest tournament-grade scoring quality — particularly against DR Congo's less-coordinated defensive line.

The pick

Both teams to score Yes at 1.95 is the value entry. Both sides will attack; both have credible individual quality. Modal scoreline 2-1 or 1-1. Stake 1%.

AI match analysis

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Where to bet on DR Congo vs Uzbekistan

Tap any price to bet at that bookmaker. Lime cells show the best price across our partner books. Odds updated Last updated 1 June 2026, 17:30 UTC.

Market

Mostbet

Fonbet

1xBet

DR Congo to win

Draw

Uzbekistan to win

Over 2.5 goals

Both teams to score

DR Congo -0.5 (Asian handicap — equivalent to DR Congo outright win)

2.20 2.24 →2.16

Our partner bookmakers

Head-to-head

No previous meetings.

DR Congo and Uzbekistan have not met in senior international football.

Predicted lineups

DR Congo XI (4-3-3) · Sébastien Desabre

Mpasi · Mbemba (c), Masuaku, Wan-Bissaka, Mukoko · Bakambu, Pickel, Moutoussamy · Wissa, Bakayoko, Elia

Out: —

Uzbekistan XI (4-3-3) · Timur Kapadze

Ergashev · Khusanov, Solomin, Eshmuradov, Sayfiev · Yakhshiboev, Khasanov, Boltayev · Shomurodov, Norchaev, Khojiakbar

Out: —

Frequently asked questions

What time does DR Congo vs Uzbekistan kick off?⌄

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan kicks off on 27 Jun 2026, 15:00 ET. That is 12:00 PT · 15:00 ET · 20:00 BST. The venue is BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, capacity 54,500.

Who is the favourite to win?⌄

DR Congo are the favourite at consensus odds around 2.5. The draw is priced around 3.2.

What is the group situation heading into the match?⌄

This is Matchday 3, the final group-stage round. Both teams in Group K arrive with their qualification position partially or fully decided, but the group winner and runner-up determination plus third-place tiebreaker mathematics may still be in play.

Will Lionel Mpasi play?⌄

Lionel Mpasi is in the squad and is expected to start. He plays his club football at Rodez.

How can I watch DR Congo vs Uzbekistan?⌄

Broadcast rights for the World Cup 2026 vary by region. In the UK, BBC and ITV split the package; in Germany ARD and ZDF; in the US FOX (English) and Telemundo (Spanish). Streaming is available via the respective broadcasters' platforms.