Born in London, playing against England: Why Aaron Wan-Bissaka represents DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup

Most soccer fans will likely associate Aaron Wan-Bissaka with his nine-season spell in the Premier League, including five years at Manchester United, rather than his international career, which only really got going at age 27. Ten months after making his debut for DR Congo, the defender made his first World Cup debut in 2026.

Born in the South London borough of Croydon, Wan-Bissaka, of Congolese descent, has long been conflicted over his international allegiance.

Early international roots

The West Ham right-back played a single game for the DR Congo U-20 team, ironically against England, in October 2015 when he was just 18. But after breaking through in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, the country of his birth came calling.

Between 2018 and 2019, Wan-Bissaka made five appearances for England’s U-20 and U-21 teams and, in August 2019, earned his first call-up to the senior squad for Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kosovo and Bulgaria.

Crucially, however, a back injury forced him to withdraw and, despite strong form at club level, he was never given another chance by the Three Lions.

The England opportunity that came and went

Although he had previously rejected DR Congo’s advances in favor of pushing for an England spot, a lack of opportunities eventually forced a major decision over his international future.

In June 2025, Wan-Bissaka accepted a first call-up to the senior DR Congo squad, although his request to switch international allegiance was not approved by FIFA until August. That allowed him to make his debut in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Sudan in September 2025, the first of nine caps he has earned for “The Leopards.”

DR Congo’s World Cup history

DR Congo are a new name at the FIFA World Cup, although the country has appeared in the tournament before under one of its former names: Zaire.

The African nation qualified for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, where it lost all three group-stage matches by an aggregate score of 14-0. That included a 9-0 defeat against Yugoslavia, tied for the biggest margin of defeat in competition history.

Although drawn into a challenging path, DR Congo have already taken a significant step forward by reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. Now, their team faces its biggest test yet with a Round of 32 clash against England, the very nation Aaron Wan-Bissaka once hoped to represent.

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