DR Congo are preparing for their first World Cup in over half a century, while a war is going on back home.
The smiles of a nation, making their first appearance at a World Cup finals since 1974, guard against the tears of a nation stricken by poverty, problematic healthcare, and limited access to food.
Millions have been displaced as a result of a decades-long conflict, particularly affecting the east of the country, as armed forces fight over the country's natural minerals and resources.
However long DR Congo last in the tournament, attention will turn from a domestic humanitarian crisis to support the Leopards. It's a responsibility that those within the DR Congo camp wear with pride.
"I'm not a politician, but the joy that I can bring to Congo is through football," defender Axel Tuanzebe tells Sky Sports.
"For Congo, it's all about trying to take the right steps forward and thinking about how I can affect that personally. I can affect it through my platform of football.
"That was the biggest point for me of playing for Congo. I think a lot of the political issues we've had in the country stem from how the country has been exploited over the years because it's rich in minerals.
"The world shouldn't be like this. I think we have enough intelligence, enough resources around the world to ensure that everybody lives a comfortable life. But it's the world we live in.
"So all I can do is put my two cents in there as a footballer, and hopefully it can help make a movement or spark a change into a better life and a better world. It does feel like a responsibility."
Tuanzebe is already a national hero. As are his international team-mates, who have set ablaze a new trail for a nation of 116 million people. Tuanzebe, though, scored the goal against Jamaica to turn 116 million World Cup dreams into a reality.
Having spent just two years representing DR Congo, he's already seen the fruits of his nation's recent successes and its impact on its people.
"I remember the first time I came back from my first camp and just driving through the roads, making our way to the hotel," Tuanzebe recalls.
"Some of the places you see and you see now how people live, it was difficult to see. I just think people shouldn't be living like this, especially in the time that we're in now.
"What we have access to as humans in terms of level of intelligence, this can be eradicated quite quickly.
"There shouldn't really be famine. It's too much to bear.
"For a country that's so rich in natural resources, it's obviously being exploited. There's unfair trade and a lot of different aspects to it.
"But that's why I try to give my best whenever I put the shirt on. Just to see them, the people smile, all of them on the streets waving, following the tour bus all the way down when we celebrated qualification.
"It was so good to see. That journey from the airport to the hotel was very much different, this time around."
'We want Saudi-Argentina-style upset against Portugal'
The World Cup represents the culmination of the efforts of the Leopards on the pitch.
Stretching back to AFCON 2023, where DR Congo reached the semi-final, there's been a gradual and steady progress under head coach Sebastien Desabre as the Leopards attempt to reclaim their place amongst the leading nations in Africa.
DR Congo, formerly known as Zaire, were the first sub-Saharan African team to play at a World Cup.
Now, they are in a group with Portugal, as well as Colombia and Uzbekistan.
Up first will be Cristiano Ronaldo-captained Portugal. It's a side that includes a couple of Tuanzebe's former Manchester United team-mates in Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot in a squad brimming with world-class names.
But DR Congo's confidence remains unshaken and Tuanzebe is eyeing an upset akin to the scalp Saudi Arabia earned against eventual World Champions Argentina in Qatar 2022.
"In my opinion, I think Portugal are top three to win the competition," says Tuanzebe.
"It'll be nice to do what Saudi Arabia did to Argentina and give a major upset. But it'll just be about enjoying the game.
"Our president will be there to watch the game. We want to make our country proud, make the president proud and start off our campaign with something special.
"It's definitely a game we're looking forward to. So, no fear, just approach it and take it as it is.
"I don't think there's an expectation of what we will do; I think there's a target. The target is to definitely try to qualify for the next round. And how that looks like, we don't quite know.
"But we have a vision of what we want to achieve. But ultimately, we just want the people to be happy to see us out on that stage, giving our best, whether it's a late winner against Portugal, who knows? It's football; anything can happen on the day.
"But it's just to put a spark back in Congolese football, Congolese people all across the world, giving something to celebrate about, giving something to talk about for the next number of years. And keep the progression going."
'Play for something bigger than yourself'
Tuanzebe is set to start against Portugal, where he'll stand alongside his former United team-mate Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The pair embody the growth of the national team. Both Wan-Bissaka and Tuanzebe could have once opted to play for England.
Wan-Bissaka was even named in a Three Lions camp in 2019, while Tuanzebe played alongside Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at youth England level.
For Tuanzebe, playing for DR Congo took some convincing over valid reservations about the infrastructure he would walk into.
Tuanzebe spoke with former Crystal Palace and Everton forward Yannick Bolasie, who took the leap to represent DR Congo during a more difficult era for the DR Congo Federation. Tuanzebe eventually opted to play for DR Congo in 2024.
"I've been in contact with the Congolese Federation for quite a long time. Earliest memories from when I was around 17 years old. At that point, first-team international football wasn't a priority for me.
"So internal meetings were had and we didn't think it was the best moment to go ahead with it. And obviously, I think a little bit of development side from the Federation, I think things weren't up to scratch or up to standard. So certain expectations that we as professionals weren't where you would want them to be.
"Since then, a lot of changes have happened. And obviously, the older I got in my career, the more comfortable I became speaking to other Congolese players, playing for the national team.
"So Yannick [Bolasie], for example, was a big, you could say, sort of figure for me within the national side.
"And once I'd spoken to him a few times about it, he gave me the reassurance of, you know what, yeah, now is the time. It's in a good place, a good set-up. And you need someone to push it forward to the next level."
Despite a delayed decision, Tuanzebe always felt Congolese, making joining the Leopards dressing room a seamless transition.
While his hometown, Rochdale, doesn't boast as dense a Congolese community as say Paris, Brussels or parts of London, Tuanzebe could rely on his family to make him feel like he'd never left Congo at a young age.
Drives to United training, where he graduated from the academy, would feature his dad's favourite Congolese musicians, Josky Kiambukuta, Werrason, Koffi Olomide and Fally Ipupa, amongst others, on full volume.
His dinner plate at home would always include Congo's most-loved foods: "Makemba" (plantain), beignet, "soso" (chicken) and or "ntaba" (char-grilled goat meat).
A big part of Congolese culture is fashion and freedom of expression. DR Congo's viral arrival in Houston was a reflection of that.
The squad were dressed in eye-catching tailored suits with a leopard design. The world was stunned, but anyone familiar with DR Congo and its people would have expected as much.
"Whenever there's a Congolese event, you know, it's going to be vibrant," Tuanzebe said.
"It's going to be good, it's going to be fun. I've got that character in me as well.
"It's who we are and we want to bring that to the world."
The impact that the World Cup can have stretches beyond the matches and Tuanzebe hopes the legacy the Leopards leave opens the door for more dual nationality players to see DR Congo as a realistic international option.
"The message I want to send is people are afraid of change," Tuanzebe says.
"And for the younger generation wanting to come through, it's easy to stay within your shell and you do what's in front of you and do what's comfortable.
"But if an opportunity presents itself to play for the heart, to play for something bigger than yourself, then I think you should go ahead and do that."
Tuanzebe has done it, and carries the tears of his nation in search of international joy.