DR Congo Names Wan-Bissaka in Squad for June Friendlies

West Ham's Aaron Wan-Bissaka gets called up by DR Congo for upcoming friendlies, potentially paving the way for a switch in international allegiance and participation in major tournaments.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been included in the Democratic Republic of Congo's 26-man squad for upcoming friendlies. This development could pave the way for his participation in the next Africa Cup of Nations and potentially the 2026 World Cup.

The 27-year-old right-back had previously declined approaches from Congo, notably before last year's Africa Cup of Nations.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Aaron Wan-Bissaka has switched international allegiances from England to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 🇨🇩🌟

The West Ham right-back has been called up for the first time and will play alongside the likes of Axel Tuanzebe and Cedric Bakambe. 👏 pic.twitter.com/yxFBv4Qfpr

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 9, 2025

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's family originates from the DR Congo. He played for England's under-21 team and received his first senior England call-up in the 2019-20 season after impressing with Manchester United.

However, an injury forced him to withdraw from the England squad, and he never received another call-up.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka joined West Ham last year and is now eligible to play for DR Congo, but he needs to switch international allegiance. However, his name is not on FIFA's list of players allowed to make nationality changes.

DR Congo, led by coach Sebastien Desabre, will play friendlies against Mali and Madagascar to prepare for World Cup qualifiers, where they currently lead Group B ahead of Senegal. A key match against Senegal is scheduled for September.

The winners of each group in the World Cup qualifiers will qualify directly for the finals. DR Congo will also participate in the upcoming Cup of Nations in Morocco.

In the Cup of Nations, DR Congo is grouped with Benin, Botswana, and Senegal.