Related videos:
England and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will face each other in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday, July 1 at 16:00 UTC (12:00 Cuba time), in a whose venue has not yet been officially announced.
The English team entered this round as the leaders of Group L with 7 points, resulting from two victories and one draw. They started with a resounding 4-2 win against Croatia, in which Harry Kane scored a brace that tied him with Gary Lineker as the all-time top scorer for England in World Cups with 10 goals.
Then they drew 0-0 against Ghana and finished the stage with a solid 2-0 victory over Panama, with goals from Jude Bellingham and Kane.
In total, the Three Lions scored six goals and conceded two, with a goal difference of +4, placing them among the most solid teams in the tournament so far.
The DR Congo, for its part, was at the center of one of the most captivating stories of the group stage. The Leopards return to the World Cup 52 years later from their only participation, when they competed as Zaire in Germany 1974.
They advanced as the best third place in Group K with 4 points, following a historic 1-1 draw against Portugal in their debut — with the country's first ever World Cup goal, scored by Yoane Wissa in the 45th minute of stoppage time — a 1-0 loss to Colombia, and a final victory of 3-1 over Uzbekistan this Saturday in Atlanta.
In that last match, Wissa scored a brace —one from a penalty— and was named the man of the match, solidifying his role as the main offensive reference for his national team.
There is no significant history of official matches between the two teams, so this encounter does not carry any prior historical rivalry. The match is defined in the context of the present: a favored team with title aspirations facing a selection that has surprised the world and seeks to write a new chapter in the history of African football.
The winner of this duel will advance to the round of 16 of the tournament, in the first edition of the World Cup with an expanded format of 48 teams.
Filed under: