Michel Kuka Mboladinga goes by many names — Lumumba Vea, the living statue — but his face is becoming one of the most recognisable at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The DR Congo superfan has captured global attention with a strikingly simple act: standing completely still, one arm raised, for the entire duration of his country's matches.

Dressed in a jacket, shirt, tie, and suit trousers — often styled in the colours of the DR Congo flag — Mboladinga holds his pose without moving. The stance is a deliberate recreation of the Lumumba statue that stands in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital.

The inspiration behind the pose

That monument honours Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the First Congolese Republic following independence in 1960. It is from Lumumba that Mboladinga draws both his nickname and his theatrical tribute.

He has been attending matches in this manner since 2013, but his profile rose sharply during the Africa Cup of Nations held across December 2025 and January 2026, when footage of his extraordinary stillness spread widely online.

Quarantine delays World Cup debut

Mboladinga was unable to attend DR Congo's opening group match at the World Cup due to a mandatory quarantine period linked to the Ebola outbreak in his home country. However, he has since been spotted in Mexico in good spirits, with DR Congo set to face Colombia in their second group-stage fixture, kicking off on Wednesday at 03:00 BST.

His presence at that match will be eagerly anticipated — and if history is any guide, he will not twitch a muscle from first whistle to last.