Neutral ground, yet the stakes are real all the same. It’s in Liège, Belgium, that the Leopards and the Danes lock horns this Wednesday 3 June 2026, kick-off at 8:00 p.m. A friendly on paper, but one that lands at a pivotal moment for both sides.
The contrast, precisely, is impossible to miss. On one side, a Denmark side that will be watching the World Cup from the couch — knocked out in the play-off final on penalties by the Czech Republic, having featured in five of the last seven editions: a bitter pill to swallow. On the other, a DR Congo that punched its ticket for the summer thanks to its intercontinental play-off win over Jamaica (1-0 a.e.t.), and that approaches this test as a first stepping stone toward the World Cup, where Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan await. The Scandinavians arrive depleted: Schmeichel and Nørgaard have hung up their international boots, Isaksen withdrew at the last minute, and a whole cluster of attacking mainstays (Dolberg, Poulsen, Skov Olsen) is missing — though the faithful Eriksen, Højbjerg and striker Højlund are still there. For the Congolese, the heavily Ligue 1-flavoured spine (Mbemba, Masuaku, Wissa, Bakambu) holds firm, despite the heartbreak of Bushiri, forced to give up on his World Cup dream through injury and replaced by Tshibola. Tagged as favourites by the bookmakers, Denmark will be looking to salvage some pride; DR Congo, for its part, is determined not to stumble at the start of its build-up.
Probable line-up DR Congo (4-3-3): Mpasi-Nzau — Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku — Elia, Moutoussamy, Sadiki — Bongonda, Wissa, Bakambu
Probable line-up Denmark (4-4-2): Hermansen — Bah, Andersen, Højsberg, Mæhle — Højbjerg, Jensen, Kristensen, Eriksen — Dorgu, Højlund