Soccer leads the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ahead of Basketball and Boxing. Ranking of 10 sports.
This page ranks the sports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the evidence behind each one, because no single comparable participation or membership figure covering all sports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be established without live search access in this session, so the ranking below is ordered by documented evidence of organized federations, international competition results, and produced elite athletes rather than by one uniform count.
Soccer is on top, followed by Basketball and Boxing. The full table below covers 10 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable. The reference year is 2026.
| # | Sport | Basis for the placing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soccer | FECOFA is the recognized governing body for Congolese football and runs the national team, known as the Leopards, which won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1968 and 1974. |
| 2 | Basketball | FIBA lists the Democratic Republic of the Congo among its member federations, and the country has produced several players who reached the NBA. |
| 3 | Boxing | Boxing has a long organized presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a national federation affiliated to the continental amateur boxing structure, though no verifiabl |
| 4 | Volleyball | Volleyball is organized nationally and the Democratic Republic of the Congo takes part in the African Volleyball Confederation’s zonal competitions for Central Africa. |
| 5 | Handball | The Democratic Republic of the Congo fields national handball teams that take part in Central African zonal qualifying events for African championships. |
| 6 | Track and field | World Athletics lists the Democratic Republic of the Congo among its member federations, and Congolese athletes have competed in track and field at the Olympic Games under universa |
| 7 | Judo | The Democratic Republic of the Congo has an affiliated judo federation and has sent judoka to the Olympic Games and African championships. |
| 8 | Taekwondo | Taekwondo is practiced through an organized national federation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the sport takes part in African qualifying tournaments, though a verifia |
| 9 | Rugby union | The Democratic Republic of the Congo fields a rugby union team that has taken part in Central African regional competitions organized under Rugby Africa. |
| 10 | Cycling | The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a national cycling federation affiliated with the UCI and has historically organized multi-stage road races such as the Tour du Congo. |
Is There a National Sport of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
the Democratic Republic of the Congo has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No legislation or government decree designating an official national sport for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is known to the author, and this could not be checked against a primary legal source in this session because search access was unavailable.
- Soccer. Soccer functions as the de facto national sport of the Democratic Republic of the Congo through its dominant popularity and the Leopards’ two Africa Cup of Nations titles.
#1 Soccer
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA)
- Top national league: Linafoot
- Best known athlete: Trésor Mputu. Longtime captain of the Leopards and a club legend at TP Mazembe, where he won the CAF Champions League multiple times during the 2000s and 2010s
Soccer is the dominant sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, organized nationally by FECOFA and played in the top domestic league, Linafoot. The national team, called the Leopards, is the country’s most prominent sporting symbol and has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice.
Clubs such as TP Mazembe have carried Congolese soccer onto the continental stage through the CAF Champions League, and players developed in the domestic system regularly move on to leagues in Europe and elsewhere in Africa.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Basketball
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Basketball
Basketball is the country’s clearest source of international sporting fame after soccer. Several Congolese-born players have reached the NBA, including Dikembe Mutombo, Bismack Biyombo and Emmanuel Mudiay, which keeps the sport highly visible at home even though the domestic league is smaller than the soccer pyramid.
The men’s national team competes in African qualifying competitions organized under FIBA Africa, and basketball is widely played in schools and urban courts in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#3 Boxing
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Boxe
Boxing has a long history in Congolese sport, particularly in urban centers, and the country fields amateur boxers in African continental championships.
The sport is organized through a national federation, though detailed licensing figures were not available for this entry.
Latest Posts about Boxing
#4 Volleyball
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Volleyball
Volleyball is played competitively at club and national team level in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with both men’s and women’s programs taking part in Central African zonal tournaments.
The sport is especially visible in school and university competitions in the country’s larger cities.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#5 Handball
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Handball
Handball is an organized team sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with national men’s and women’s sides competing in Central African qualifying tournaments for continental championships.
The sport remains smaller than soccer and basketball but has a functioning federation and regular regional fixtures.
Latest Posts about Handball
#6 Track and field
- Governing body: Athletics federation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Track and field is practiced through a national federation affiliated with World Athletics, and Congolese sprinters and distance runners have taken part in the Olympic Games and African championships.
Participation is concentrated around a small number of elite athletes rather than a broad domestic competition circuit.
Latest Posts about Track and Field
#7 Judo
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Judo
Judo is organized in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through a national federation affiliated with the International Judo Federation, with athletes taking part in African and Olympic qualifying events.
The sport draws a smaller but consistent group of competitors compared with team sports such as soccer and basketball.
Latest Posts about Judo
#8 Taekwondo
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Taekwondo
Taekwondo has grown as an organized combat sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with clubs training athletes for African qualifying tournaments.
It remains a minority sport in terms of overall participation compared with soccer and basketball.
Latest Posts about Taekwondo
#9 Rugby union
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Rugby
Rugby union is a smaller but organized sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a national federation that fields teams in Central African regional competition.
The sport is concentrated in a limited number of clubs rather than a nationwide competition structure.
Latest Posts about Rugby
#10 Cycling
- Governing body: Fédération Congolaise de Cyclisme
Competitive road cycling is organized in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through a national federation affiliated with the UCI, and the country has historically hosted multi-stage road races.
The sport draws a small but dedicated field of competitive cyclists rather than mass participation.
Latest Posts about Cycling
Sources
- Fédération Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA) official site
- FIBA official site
- International Handball Federation (IHF) official site
- World Athletics official site
- International Judo Federation (IJF) official site
- Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) official site
- Fédération Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA) official site
Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.
FAQ
What sports are played in DRC?
The most widely played sports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are soccer and basketball, followed by boxing, volleyball, handball, track and field, judo, taekwondo, rugby union and cycling. Soccer is organized through FECOFA and the domestic Linafoot league, while basketball has produced several Congolese-born NBA players.
What is the national sport of Congo?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has no law or decree that designates an official national sport. Soccer functions as the de facto national sport because of its dominant popularity and the national team’s two Africa Cup of Nations titles.
What is the most popular sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Soccer is the most popular sport, organized nationally by FECOFA through the Leopards national team and the domestic Linafoot league. The Leopards won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1968 and 1974.
Who is the most famous sports figure in Congo?
Dikembe Mutombo, a basketball player born in Kinshasa, is among the country’s most internationally recognized athletes, inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame after an NBA career that included four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. In soccer, Trésor Mputu is a widely recognized name as longtime captain of the Leopards and a club legend at TP Mazembe.
