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DR Congo will make its first appearance at a World Cup in 52 years on Wednesday, June 17, which means the world will be introduced to the team's most famous fan, Lumumba Vea.
You might not know his name but if you've watched any DR Congo games in recent years, you know who Vea is.
Vea, whose real name is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, stands completely still throughout the game, standing tall like a statue with his arm raised. He first went viral during the most recent Africa Cup of Nations this past winter.
It isn't just Vea's motionlessness that stands out, but his style. He looks and dresses like DR Congo's first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, who helped lead the country to independence from Belgium in 1960 before he was assassinated a year later.
Lumumba is a national hero in DR Congo, which was known as Zaire in 1974, the only other time it has reached the World Cup.
This year, it qualified for the World Cup via an intercontinental playoff in Mexico. But Mboladinga was unable to travel to see DR Congo beat Jamaica to qualify in March, as his visa to enter Mexico was denied.
After DR Congo qualified, the country's leadership banded together to ensure Mboladinga would be able to enter the United States.
The issue went as high as the country's president, Félix Tshisekedi, who helped get Mboladinga added to the team's official travel delegation.
DR Congo faces a tall task on Wednesday against Portugal, but the team can draw strength from Vea. If he can really stand completely still for an entire game, why can't they beat Cristiano Ronaldo?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DR Congo fan stands like statue all game, will be at World Cup
Continue reading...
You might not know his name but if you've watched any DR Congo games in recent years, you know who Vea is.
Vea, whose real name is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, stands completely still throughout the game, standing tall like a statue with his arm raised. He first went viral during the most recent Africa Cup of Nations this past winter.
It isn't just Vea's motionlessness that stands out, but his style. He looks and dresses like DR Congo's first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, who helped lead the country to independence from Belgium in 1960 before he was assassinated a year later.
Lumumba is a national hero in DR Congo, which was known as Zaire in 1974, the only other time it has reached the World Cup.
This year, it qualified for the World Cup via an intercontinental playoff in Mexico. But Mboladinga was unable to travel to see DR Congo beat Jamaica to qualify in March, as his visa to enter Mexico was denied.
After DR Congo qualified, the country's leadership banded together to ensure Mboladinga would be able to enter the United States.
The issue went as high as the country's president, Félix Tshisekedi, who helped get Mboladinga added to the team's official travel delegation.
Grâce à l'implication personnelle du Chef de l'État, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi @fatshi13
Nous avançons pic.twitter.com/TEUOAm4zm3
— LUMUMBA VEA (@JumbaDrc) June 15, 2026
DR Congo faces a tall task on Wednesday against Portugal, but the team can draw strength from Vea. If he can really stand completely still for an entire game, why can't they beat Cristiano Ronaldo?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DR Congo fan stands like statue all game, will be at World Cup
Continue reading...
