{"id":60983,"date":"2026-06-17T14:08:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=60983"},"modified":"2026-06-29T13:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T13:01:27","slug":"2026-fifa-world-cup-let-the-drcs-leopards-inspire-the-protection-of-congo-basin-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/60983\/2026-fifa-world-cup-let-the-drcs-leopards-inspire-the-protection-of-congo-basin-wildlife\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 FIFA World Cup: Let the DRC\u2019s Leopards inspire the protection of Congo Basin wildlife"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kinshasa, 17 June 2026<\/strong> \u2013 As the Democratic Republic of Congo proudly celebrates the participation of the Leopards in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 52 years after their historic appearance, Greenpeace Africa is calling on Congolese citizens and Africans across the continent to extend their support beyond the football pitch. <\/p>\n\n

This moment offers an opportunity to champion the iconic wildlife species such as leopards, forest and savanna elephants, bonobos, okapis, and eastern lowland gorillas and irreplaceable ecosystems that are at the heart of the DRC\u2019s natural heritage and the Congo Basin\u2019s global significance. By standing up for the protection of these species and their habitats, we can help safeguard a legacy that extends far beyond the World Cup and endures for generations to come. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cToday, millions of supporters will be cheering for the Leopards. But this national enthusiasm can also become a powerful driver for raising awareness about the protection of Congolese forest and biodiversity, which is increasingly threatened by deforestation and forest degradation,\u201d said Bonaventure Bondo, Congo Basin Forest and Biodiversity Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.<\/p>\n\n

The leopard, the symbol of the national football team, is also one of the flagship species of Congolese wildlife. These species represent not only an exceptional natural heritage but also a living legacy that future generations have a right to experience, cherish and protect.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Leopards\u2019 participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States is a source of national pride. It also reminds us that the symbols that unite us on the football field also live in our forests. Today, protecting leopards and other iconic species of the Congo Basin is a collective challenge that deserves the same level of commitment, \u201d Bonaventure added.<\/p>\n\n

As attention turns to the African teams participating in the tournament, Greenpeace Africa is calling on supporters to shine a spotlight on the continent\u2019s extraordinary natural treasures. Several African national teams at the World Cup bear names or symbols inspired by wildlife: lions, elephants, leopards. These emblems reflect the deep connection between Africa\u2019s identity and its natural heritage.<\/p>\n\n

Let us support them on the field. Let us also protect real leopards, bonobos, forest elephants and gorillas in their natural habitats.<\/p>\n\n

ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Media Contact<\/strong>

Raphael Mavambu<\/strong>, Communication & Storytelling Manager, rmavambu@greenpeace.org<\/a>, +243 810 679 437, Greenpeace Africa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Democratic Republic of Congo proudly celebrates the participation of the Leopards in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 52 years after their historic appearance, Greenpeace Africa is calling on Congolese citizens and Africans across the continent to extend their support beyond the football pitch.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":60986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"Oceans","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[46,47],"p4-page-type":[14],"class_list":["post-60983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-protecttheenvironment","tag-greenpeaceafrica","tag-drc","p4-page-type-press"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60983"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60988,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60983\/revisions\/60988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60983"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=60983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}