Michel Nkuka Mboladinga isn’t just your ordinary DR Congo fan who will be following his country’s team during the 2026 World Cup. The man known as “Lumumba Vea” will be easy to spot during Tuesday’s match against Colombia — just look for the motionless supporter on the pedestal.
There’s a reason why Mboladinga does what he does to support DR Congo.
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“I stand motionless because I believe it gives the team emotional stamina,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “Just as Lumumba sacrificed his life for our country, mine is a small price to pay because of how deeply I care about this team.”
Mboladinga, 49, poses like a statue with his hand raised during DR Congo matches in honor of the country’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1961.
“He’s the one who gave us the freedom to express ourselves,” Nkuka Mboladinga told the Associated Press of the Congolese leader. “He sacrificed his life for us, to give us liberty. So he’s a hero for us, Lumumba is a spirit for us, he’s a model for us.”
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Wearing suits with his country’s colors, Nkuka Mboladinga has become a symbol of the national team since his in-game tradition went viral during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when the Les Leópards reached the round of 16. He stands still as those around him dance, sing and cheer during matches.
Nkuka Mboladinga has become the face of DR Congo supporters and his presence at matches is so important that fans persuaded President Félix Tshisekedi to include him in the team’s official World Cup delegation. Due to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, the team and staff were forced to isolate in Belgium before flying to Houston before their opening match, a 1-1 draw against Portugal.
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However, Nkuka Mboladinga arrived too late to join the team in Houston. He did finally land in Guadalajara on Monday in time for Tuesday’s match against Colombia.
This is DR Congo’s second time at a World Cup and first since 1974 when the country was known as Zaire. Following Tuesday’s match, they will finish group stage play on Saturday against Uzbekistan as they continue their quest for a knockout stage place.
For as long as DR Congo goes in this tournament, so too will “Lumumba Vea.”
