Uzbekistan is eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after losing to DR Congo

Fabio Cannavaro described Uzbekistan's elimination from the World Cup as "brutal" after his team failed to win any of its group matches in North America. Uzbekistan, making its debut at the World Cup, finished in Group K with three defeats, conceding 11 goals and scoring only two. After losses to Colombia and Portugal, Uzbekistan's fate was sealed ahead of their match against DR Congo at Atlanta Stadium. Even though they were only playing for honor, Eldor Shomurodov gave Uzbekistan the lead in the 10th minute, but Yoane Wissa's inspiring performance in the second half turned the game around. Wissa scored from the penalty spot in the 68th minute and Fiston Mayele doubled the scoring by scoring over Abduvokhid Nematov 10 minutes later. The Newcastle United striker sealed the victory and advancement to the next round in added time. Cannavaro, the world champion from Italy, defended his players but spoke about the harsh realities of competing on the world's biggest soccer stage. "The World Cup is brutal," he said. "Did they play at their best? Yes. They are sad in the locker room. Believe me, they suffer more than anyone in Uzbekistan." When asked why he was smiling after the final whistle, Cannavaro explained: "You think I'm not nervous, I'm not angry? I don't feel good because I don't like losing. We made some mistakes, but I can't complain about my players. I never complain about my players because I know, and as I said in the press conference, what I said on the first day when we saw the draw."  Cannavaro added that Uzbekistan as a country must continue to invest to be able to compete at the next World Cup, stating: "We must understand that football in Uzbekistan must develop. It is necessary to continue investing in academies and young players because this is the only way for Uzbekistan to participate in the World Cup in 20-30 years." It was a historic moment for DR Congo as they became the 11th African country to advance from the World Cup group stage and the fifth to do so for the first time in 2026, after Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Cape Verde and Egypt. They scored two goals within 10 minutes of the second half, having previously scored only one goal in their five and a half World Cup matches (including as Zaire in 1974). Wissa also made history by equaling the achievements of Ismael Saibari and Ismaila Sarra as the most scoring African players at this year's World Cup (three goals). He also scored DR Congo's first two goals at the tournament. DR Congo's victory saw them advance as one of the best third-placed teams, and their reward is a match against Thomas Tuchel's England, who won Group L. "We will start preparing for the match immediately," said DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre of the upcoming match against the Three Lions. "We have a few players in the squad who play in the English league so they will help us, but we will prepare as best we can for what will be a big game for us." Desabre praised his team for their achievement, reminding the players to enjoy what they have achieved before turning their attention to England. "I would like to congratulate my players for their work. This is a team that has been together for four years and we have always believed. This victory means a lot for the country, andthe victory was great. It's very positive and we showed the good side of Congo. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Uruguay Exits World Cup 2026 After Muslera's Costly Mistake](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/uruguay-exits-world-cup-2026-after-musleras-costly-mistake) 2. [How to Watch Colombia vs. Portugal: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time | FOX Sports](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/how-to-watch-colombia-vs-portugal-tv-channel-live-stream-time-fox-sports)