Mboladinga, who rose to prominence at ​the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in ​Morocco, will be a welcome sight for the ⁠Congolese team as they look to build on ​their opening 1-1 draw with Portugal in Houston.

Dressed in a jacket ​and tie to resemble his country’s first Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, Mboladinga stands completely still in tribute to the politician who was ​assassinated by firing squad in 1961.

Nicknamed ‘Lumumba Vea’ because ​of his tribute, Mboladinga raises his arm to strike a pose similar ‌to ⁠one held by Lumumba in a statue of him in his country’s capital, Kinshasa, and in stark contrast to the vibrant singing and cheering fans around him.

The ​Algerian football federation ​apologised to ⁠Mboladinga at the Cup of Nations after forward Mohamed Amoura mocked him when Algeria ​knocked the Congolese out of the tournament, ​which ⁠caused a social media backlash.

Mboladinga’s arrival at the World Cup was delayed following restrictions put in place for travellers ⁠from the ​DR Congo due to the ​Ebola outbreak in the country that has now infected more than 1,000 people and claimed 254 lives.