New Delhi: One of DR Congo’s most famous players got his time in the game FIFA World Cup the second.Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, also known as Lumumba Vea, took part in DR Congo’s match against Colombia after missing the team’s opening game against Portugal due to the need to self-isolate due to Ebola.The midfielder rose to international fame in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he spent the entire match standing like a statue. Dressed in stylish suits and with one arm raised, he quickly attracted the attention of television cameras and football fans around the world.Before the Colombia match at Estadio Akron, Mboladinga arrived early and sat behind the DR Congo bench. Dressed in a bright red jacket and tie, a yellow shirt and blue trousers, he transformed himself into a “living statue”, standing motionless on the ground and raising his right arm.Although he did not speak to the media, he smiled and nodded when asked if he was happy to finally be at the World Cup.His journey to the tournament has not been straightforward. Earlier this year, Mboladinga also missed DR Congo’s World Cup match against Jamaica because he could not get a visa in time. He went to Kenya and Ethiopia to get the necessary documents, but he could not make it to the game.The look is a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the DR Congo and one of the most famous figures in the country’s history.
Lumumba was instrumental in ending Belgian colonial rule in 1960 and became the leader of the newly independent country. However, he was killed less than a year later during political unrest involving a separatist group in the Katanga region.The elevation of Mboladinga’s arm, his clothes and his posture are based on Lumumba monuments and images, hence he is known as Lumumba Vea.His exceptional support has made him one of the most recognizable figures in world football and a symbol of DR Congo’s passion for the game.After missing the opening game against Portugal, many fans were happy to finally see the famous “fafanizi” take his place in the World Cup.
