Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

DR Congo Must Win vs Uzbekistan to Stay Alive

6/28/2026

28 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

DR Congo Must Win

DR Congo faces Uzbekistan at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 27, 2026.
FS1 will broadcast the game in the United States.
DR Congo must win to stay in contention because a draw leaves them with two points and eliminates them.
Uzbekistan starts with a –7 goal-difference, so a win does not guarantee a third-place finish.
Colombia and Portugal have secured round-of-32 berths, with their match deciding the group winner.

Summary

Cannavaro Deploys Defense

PrizePicks offers 1.61× for a DR Congo win and 4.76× for an Uzbekistan win.
The spread lists DR Congo at –1.5 with a 3.03× payout.
The over/under is 2.5 goals, paying 2.12× for the over and 1.66× for the under.
Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro will use a five-across defense with keeper Utkir Yusupov in the first ever DR Congo-Uzbekistan World Cup clash, where his team has conceded eight goals.

History

Historical Context

During the 1998 World Cup, Nigeria’s two early victories secured group leadership while Japan lost all three matches, showing how Africa-Asia encounters can decide group fate. The 2026 tournament, expanded to 48 teams in 2017, now pits DR Congo (CAF) against Uzbekistan (AFC), a clash that could similarly reshape the new four-team groups.

1 of 3

DR Congo Must Win

DR Congo faces Uzbekistan at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 27, 2026.
FS1 will broadcast the game in the United States.
DR Congo must win to stay in contention because a draw leaves them with two points and eliminates them.
Uzbekistan starts with a –7 goal-difference, so a win does not guarantee a third-place finish.
Colombia and Portugal have secured round-of-32 berths, with their match deciding the group winner.

1 / 3