If you have been watching the Democratic Republic of Congo fight for football’s most coveted prize throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, you may have seen a somewhat bizarre spectacle playing out in the stands.
Vision of a man, clad in a red suit with a yellow shirt and blue pants, standing on a plinth amidst a sea of DRC supporters, completely unmoved for 90 minutes has whipped the footballing world into a frenzy.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Why does this FIFA fan stand like a statue for entire matches?
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow
But who is this captivating man who remains so steadfastly still? There are two answers to that.
The first answer is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a Congolese superfan who attends almost every game to support Les Léopards.
The second answer is ‘Lumumba Vea’, the name Mboladinga gives to the ‘living statue’ he embodies at every game.
The name honours the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, who led the country after it gained independence from Belgium in June 1960.
Mboladinga calls himself a ‘living statue’, standing unmoved for more than 90 minutes. Credit: Jam Media/Getty Images
Mboladinga’s empowering stance replicates Patric Lumumba’s statue in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital city.
Lumumba was assassinated in 1961 following a military coup by political rival Joseph-Desire Mobutu.
He was forced to flee the capital to meet supporters in the nearby city of Stanleyville, however he was captured en-route by separatists and Belgian mercenaries before being tortured and ultimately executed.
Lumumba is viewed as a martyr of the pan-African movement and remains a symbol of Congolese nationalism and African liberation.
His influence even spread to other parts of the world, with US civil rights activist Malcolm X referring to Lumumba as “the greatest black man who ever walked the African continent”.
Official portrait of Patrice Lumumba, 1960. Credit: Supplied
In an interview with CNN, Mboladinga revealed why he honours Lumumba this way.
“Patrice Lumumba is a symbol of unity – the one who taught Congolese to stand and to be proud,” he said.
Mboladinga’s feats of endurance rose to prominence during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he performed his stoic feat during every DRC match.
But the road to the World Cup hasn’t been a smooth one. The ‘living statue’ was unable to attend the DRC’s opening match against Portugal due to quarantine restrictions as a result of the country’s Ebola outbreak.
However, the Congolese squad rallied around Mboladinga, persuading DRC’s president Félix Tshisekedi to include him in the team’s official delegation.
Lumumba Vea was standing proudly for DRC’s second match against Colombia, however ongoing visa issues meant he was forced to miss his country’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan on Sunday.
Lumumba Vea embodies the pride that Patrice Lumumba instilled into the Congolese people. Credit: Carl Recine/Getty Images
It is an impressive, and almost unbelievable feat to stand still for so long, and Mboladinga has shed some light on how it is possible.
“Believe it or not, but I do practise,” he said in an interview with CNN Sports. “I can actually practice 20 days out of a month, but I’ll also take a lot of rest.”
It’s not just physical endurance keeping him upright, but serious mental fortitude also helping him to stand firm.
“I am a living statue,” he said. “The climate has no impact on me. My job is not just to stand there, but rather to communicate energy, strength and power to the players. That is what I am focusing on.
Mboladinga trains for 20 days per month to be able to stand unmoving for so long. Credit: Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
“I do not foresee a time when I’m actually going to let go and lower my hand – I will get my job done.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo have advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history, meaning ‘Lumumba Vea’ will get at least one more opportunity to support his team, the best way he knows how.
Socceroos gun leaves ex-club ‘kicking themselves’ over lost millions
2 min read
Ben Stokes indulges in final act of Bazball hubris after bombshell exit
3 min read
