Three Lions vs Historic Leopards
England face debutant knockout side DR Congo in the World Cup 2026 Round of 32 in Atlanta. Lineups, tactics, key matchups, predictions and full analysis.
- July 1, 2026 Wed
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta
- Kick-Off 12:00 PM ET
England have the players; DR Congo have the plan.
England are a side of clear individual quality and recurring structural questions. The attack — Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Gordon, Madueke, Rashford in reserve — is among the deepest in the tournament. Kane is in the form of his life after a 61-goal club season and is now England’s all-time World Cup scorer. Bellingham has been the creative pulse, scoring or assisting in the wins. But England have struggled to break down deep blocks: the Ghana goalless draw and the laboured Panama win both followed the same script — dominate the ball, struggle for the breakthrough, rely on a set piece or moment of class. Defensively they are solid but not impregnable, with the Croatia game exposing transition and second-ball vulnerabilities, and a genuine right-back problem.
DR Congo are the model of a modern, well-coached underdog. Desabre has built a side that keeps clean sheets, defends in numbers, and strikes fast through Wissa and Bakambu. They have a diaspora-built squad packed with European-based professionals — several with Premier League pedigree (Wissa, Wan-Bissaka, Sadiki, Tuanzebe) — so this is not a naive side overawed by the occasion. Their weakness is the flip side of their strength: when forced to take the initiative, they can be passive and short of creativity. But against an England side that wants the ball, DR Congo will be perfectly happy to sit, soak and spring.
DR Congo will be perfectly happy to sit, soak and spring.
Everything you need at kickoff
- Fixture
- Match 80 · Round of 32 England vs DR Congo
- Date
- Wed, July 1, 2026
- Kickoff
- ~12:00 p.m. ET 5:00 p.m. BST / 5:00 p.m. WAT (Kinshasa)
- Venue
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium Branded 'Atlanta Stadium' for the tournament, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Roof
- Retractable roof Climate-controlled — Atlanta heat and humidity largely neutralised
- Stage
- Round of 32 Winner advances to Round of 16 (not a quarterfinal)
- Bracket
- England: Group L Winners DR Congo: Group K Third-Place (best third-placed)
- Days of rest
- Both: ~3 days Both last played June 27
- Referee
- Not confirmed FIFA had not announced the appointment as of June 29
England last played on June 27 vs Panama; DR Congo also last played on June 27 vs Uzbekistan — an even footing in recovery. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium retractable roof is expected to create a climate-controlled environment, removing the sapping Atlanta heat as a variable that might otherwise have favoured a deep-sitting underdog. Kickoff is most widely listed as noon ET; treat the exact minute as provisional until FIFA’s final timing sheet.
A national crisis vs a nation’s finest hour
The pressure sits almost entirely on England. As a top-four FIFA side, group winners and one of the tournament favourites, anything other than a win against a debutant knockout nation ranked in the mid-40s would be a national crisis and a serious blot on Tuchel’s record. England carry the weight of expectation, a long trophy drought, and a fanbase primed to catastrophise. DR Congo, by contrast, have already overachieved by reaching the knockouts for the first time in their history — they play with house money, freed from expectation, which is precisely the psychological state that produces upsets. The pressure asymmetry is one of DR Congo’s biggest intangible assets.
The winner advances to the Round of 16 — not a quarterfinal, but the next step in the 48-team format’s extra knockout round. For England, victory keeps alive a tournament where a semi-final or better is the genuine ambition. The projected last-16 route points toward the Mexico side of the bracket; the exact opponent depends on other Round of 32 results. For DR Congo, simply reaching the last 16 would be the greatest result in the nation’s football history — uncharted territory that would cement Desabre’s project as a continental benchmark. The asymmetry of consequence is stark: for England a stepping stone, for DR Congo a monument.
The pressure sits almost entirely on England — DR Congo play with house money, freed from expectation, which is precisely the psychological state that produces upsets.
Narratives writing themselves
DR Congo: first World Cup knockout in 52 years
This is DR Congo’s first World Cup since 1974 (when they played as Zaire) and their first-ever knockout appearance at the tournament. Their qualification — sealed by a historic 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan, at this very stadium — makes this the defining moment in the Leopards’ football history.
Kane breaks Lineker’s England World Cup record
Harry Kane’s goal against Panama was his 11th World Cup goal, surpassing Gary Lineker as England’s all-time World Cup scorer. He also equalled Lineker’s tally with a brace against Croatia — including a header from a Rice corner — before taking the record outright against Panama with a Bellingham assist.
England’s right-back crisis: James and Livramento both out
Reece James is out with a hamstring injury that threatens to keep him sidelined deep into the knockouts. Tino Livramento was ruled out of the entire tournament before it began (calf injury), with Trevoh Chalobah called up as his replacement. Tuchel has been improvising with Nico O’Reilly, Jarell Quansah and Djed Spence — DR Congo’s Wissa knows exactly which flank to target.
Wissa’s three goals in a group — and momentum at the same venue
Yoane Wissa (Newcastle) scored three of DR Congo’s four group-stage goals, including the brace against Uzbekistan that sealed qualification. The Uzbekistan win was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — the same venue where DR Congo now face England — giving the Leopards a sliver of familiarity and a wave of momentum from their finest night.
England’s deep-block problem: two near-stalemates in three games
England were held 0-0 by Ghana (72% possession, ~19 shots, no breakthrough) and ground out a 2-0 win over Panama only through second-half set pieces. Both games followed the same script: dominate the ball, struggle to find a way through. DR Congo’s game plan is tailor-made to replicate exactly that frustration.
DR Congo’s qualifier goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu saved two spot-kicks against Nigeria to secure their World Cup place — shootout pedigree that matters if this tie goes to penalties.
Tale of the tape
England won Group L with 7 points: 4-2 vs Croatia (Kane 12 pen, 42; Bellingham 47; Rashford 85), 0-0 vs Ghana, 2-0 vs Panama (Bellingham 62, Kane 67). Kane’s Panama goal was his record-breaking 11th World Cup goal. Three group games, one concession (to Croatia), twice needing set pieces to break a deep block.
DR Congo finished third in Group K (4 points): 1-1 vs Portugal (Wissa equaliser 45+; João Neves 6), 0-1 vs Colombia (Muñoz deflected finish), 3-1 vs Uzbekistan (Wissa 68 pen, Mayele 78, Wissa 90+1; Shomurodov 10). A point off Portugal, a narrow honourable defeat to Colombia, and a history-making comeback at this exact venue. Wissa scored three of their four group goals.
Tuchel’s base is a 4-2-3-1 with Rice and Anderson as the double pivot, Bellingham as the advanced No. 10, Saka wide right, and Kane leading the line. Against Croatia the system had real attacking punch but defensive frailties; against Ghana and Panama, Tuchel prioritised control and clean sheets — at the cost of attacking fluency. Set pieces (Saka deliveries, Bellingham’s late runs) have been England’s release valve against deep blocks, and will be again here.
Desabre’s system is built on a back five (compact 3-5-2) against elite possession-based opponents and a back four when they need to attack. Against Portugal and Colombia — the two stronger sides — he used the back five to frustrate and counter; against Uzbekistan (a must-win), he reverted to a back four with more front-foot intent. Against possession-heavy England, expect the back-five, deep-block version: two compact banks, deny space, and spring through Wissa and Masuaku’s delivery on the counter.
With James (hamstring) and Livramento (calf, tournament over) out, England’s right-back position has been improvised across Panama: O’Reilly operated there as a makeshift option, Quansah came in (a Quansah ankle concern remains), and Spence appeared as a late sub. The exact right-back selection vs DR Congo is the single biggest team-news question, and that position is the soft spot Wissa will hunt.
Diaspora Squad Depth
DR Congo’s squad is stocked with European-based professionals — several with Premier League pedigree including Wissa (Newcastle), Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Sadiki (Sunderland) and Tuanzebe (Burnley). This is not a naive side overawed by the occasion. Goalkeeper Mpasi starts, but Timothy Fayulu — who saved two penalties in qualifying against Nigeria — is the named shootout specialist waiting on the bench.
- Individual quality: Kane (all-time England WC scorer), Bellingham (goal or assist in the wins), Saka (set-piece menace) and Rice (midfield control) are world-class and provide multiple routes to the decisive moment.
- Set-piece threat: the Panama win was settled entirely from dead balls; against a well-organised block, Saka’s delivery and Kane/Stones headers are England’s most reliable goal route.
- Bench depth: Eze, Rashford, Mainoo, Watkins and Toney provide four or five genuine game-changing options — DR Congo will face a different England after 60 minutes.
- Defensive solidity: two clean sheets in three games; Pickford, Stones and Guéhi are a reliable spine against limited forward lines.
- Climate advantage: the retractable roof neutralises Atlanta’s heat, letting England play their high-possession game at full intensity for 90-plus minutes.
- Defensive organisation: Desabre’s back-five system has frustrated Portugal and held Colombia to a single deflected goal — this is a team built to make elite attacks uncomfortable.
- Wissa on the counter: pace, directness and clinical edge — the three of his group goals came in moments of rapid transition; attacking England’s improvised right-back is his clearest path.
- Set-piece threat: Bakambu and Mbemba are aerial threats; Masuaku delivers (the assist vs Portugal was from a cross in this mould). One well-worked dead ball can decide a low-scoring game.
- Venue familiarity: DR Congo’s comeback win over Uzbekistan was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — they return knowing the surface, the sightlines and what a winning moment here feels like.
- Shootout pedigree: goalkeeper Fayulu saved two spot-kicks in qualifying against Nigeria; Mbemba converted the decisive kick. If this goes to penalties, DR Congo have walked this path before.
- Deep-block frustration: England have demonstrably struggled twice against compact defences (0-0 Ghana, laboured Panama) — DR Congo will replicate exactly this game plan.
- Improvised right-back: the absence of James and Livramento leaves a patchwork solution at the position DR Congo’s counter-attack is specifically designed to exploit.
- Transition and second-ball vulnerability: the Croatia game exposed gaps behind the double pivot; DR Congo’s counter-attack through Wissa is precisely the weapon to probe them.
- Offensive passivity: when forced to take the initiative against Colombia, DR Congo created little and conceded to a deflected shot — they can be too passive and short of creativity in front of goal.
- Wissa concentration: three of four group goals came from one man — if Wissa is contained or injured, DR Congo’s attack loses most of its cutting edge.
- Quality gap against elite defenders: against England’s settled central pairing of Stones and Guéhi, Bakambu and Wissa will need to be at their sharpest to convert limited counter-attacking chances.
The lock-picker vs the specialist
Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League winner and serial elite-club coach, arrives with a side built to control games but one that has demonstrably struggled to break down deep blocks — twice in three games. His challenge is patience without sterility: keep the ball, generate genuine box entries, vary the angles, use Saka’s set pieces and Bellingham’s late runs, and have a lock-pick (Eze, Rashford, Mainoo) ready off the bench when open play stalls. He must also solve the right-back puzzle without it becoming the soft underbelly the counter-attack exploits.
Sébastien Desabre, by contrast, is a specialist in exactly this scenario. He has built a 29-clean-sheets-in-57-games defensive identity, has shown the tactical maturity to add a fifth defender against elite opposition, and has a clear, repeatable plan: stay compact, deny space, frustrate, and strike through Wissa on the counter and Bakambu on set pieces. His chess move is psychological as much as tactical — make England anxious, let the crowd and the clock build pressure, and back his side to take the one or two chances they create. The fact DR Congo just won at this exact stadium adds a sliver of familiarity in his favour.
Key duels to watch
Bukayo Saka vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka / the DR Congo left side
England’s most reliable route into the final third meets one of the Premier League’s best one-on-one defenders, who knows English football intimately. Saka’s dribbling and set-piece delivery against Wan-Bissaka’s tackling and recovery pace is the marquee technical duel of the match.
Harry Kane vs Chancel Mbemba
England’s record scorer against DR Congo’s 107-cap captain and organiser. Kane’s link-up and movement into the box versus Mbemba’s positioning and the protection of the back five. Set-piece duels — corners and free-kicks — could decide the tie.
Yoane Wissa vs England’s improvised right-back (and the centre-backs in transition)
This is DR Congo’s clearest path to a goal. Wissa’s pace on the counter, attacking the space behind a makeshift right-back, is exactly the kind of moment England’s reshuffled defence must guard against — and the single moment most likely to produce the upset.
Declan Rice vs the space in front of DR Congo’s block
Whoever controls the midpitch controls the tempo. Rice must dictate, recycle and protect against the counter; if DR Congo’s midfield (Sadiki, Mukau) can disrupt him, the game tightens and England’s path to a goal narrows.
Advantage in raw resources: Tuchel. Advantage in clarity of game-specific plan: arguably Desabre. The match may hinge on which manager’s substitutions land first — Tuchel’s attacking reinforcements to unlock the block, or Desabre’s fresh legs (Mayele) to sustain the counter.
The names that decide it
9/10 — England’s all-time World Cup scorer (11 goals), in the form of his life after a 61-goal club season. Named as the most likely Man of the Match should England score from a set piece; his header from a Rice corner vs Croatia and the Panama record-breaker from a Bellingham assist set the template.
9/10 — goal and assist in the Panama win, plus the decisive Croatia strike. England’s creative engine and our predicted Man of the Match — projected to provide the creative spark (goal or assist) that finally unlocks the Leopards’ block, as he did against Panama.
8/10 — controlled both deeper-block games; limited Ghana to near-zero attacking threat (0 shots on target). The platform for everything England do well — his ability to dictate, recycle and protect against DR Congo’s counter is central to the result.
7.5/10 — key set-piece deliverer and width creator; carrying a minor Achilles issue through the group but productive. His Saka corner led directly to Bellingham’s Panama opener — set pieces are England’s most repeatable route to goals, and Saka is the delivery mechanism.
7.5/10 — two clean sheets, assured; rarely tested but reliable. A strong shootout goalkeeper with a track record of saves and preparation — should this go to penalties, Pickford is England’s biggest asset from 12 yards.
9/10 — three of DR Congo’s four group goals, the talisman who carried the Leopards into the knockouts. Pace, directness and a clinical edge — his counter-attack runs at England’s improvised right-back are the single most likely source of a DR Congo goal.
8/10 — 107 caps, DR Congo’s record cap-holder and leader; marshalled the back line and kept Portugal and Colombia to a goal apiece. His organisation of the back five and aerial dominance at set pieces make him the defensive linchpin.
7.5/10 — steady tournament starter who will be busy; key saves vs Germany. Crucially, substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu — who saved two spot-kicks against Nigeria in qualifying — is waiting on the bench; Desabre may even consider a shootout specialist call.
7.5/10 — one of the Premier League’s best one-on-one defenders, a former England youth player who knows the English game intimately. His defensive role against Saka’s dribbling and delivery is the marquee technical duel of the tie.
6.5/10 — veteran striker (35), 21 international goals, one short of the all-time DR Congo record. Aerial and set-piece presence alongside Wissa; Bakambu and Mbemba are the aerial weapons on Masuaku’s deliveries at dead balls.
Rising Stars & Breakout Candidates
England: Eberechi Eze (Arsenal) has not started a group game but is described as England’s ‘lock-pick’ option against a deep block — a player whose close control, creativity in tight areas and direct running is exactly the profile needed when open play stalls. Kobbie Mainoo (Man United) offers composure in tight areas and is pushing for minutes; either could be the difference-maker off the bench. Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) has been diligent alongside Rice but carries a minor fitness concern (glute/dead-leg) — his continued involvement is a quiet watch.
DR Congo: Noah Sadiki (Sunderland, 21) is the group stage’s genuine breakout from the DR Congo squad — athletic, progressive, a ball-carrying engine who makes the midfield screen function. Fiston Mayele (Pyramids FC), who scored off the bench against Uzbekistan to put DR Congo ahead in their historic comeback win, is the impact striker option waiting to freshen the counter if Bakambu tires.
A record-breaker, a 52-year wait, and a shootout hero in waiting
Kane’s 11th World Cup goal — England’s all-time record
Harry Kane’s goal against Panama was his 11th at a World Cup, surpassing Gary Lineker as England’s all-time World Cup scorer. He had already equalled Lineker with a brace against Croatia — including a header from a Rice corner — before taking the record outright from a Bellingham assist against Panama.
DR Congo’s first World Cup knockout in 52 years — and a first ever
This is DR Congo’s first World Cup since 1974 (when they played as Zaire) and their first-ever appearance in a World Cup knockout round. Their qualification was sealed by a 3-1 comeback at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — the same venue where they now face England.
DR Congo have already played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — and won
DR Congo’s history-making 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. They come back knowing the surface, the sightlines and what a winning moment in that stadium feels like — a small but genuine edge no other factor in this tie replicates.
Desabre’s 29 clean sheets in 57 games — a defensive identity built over years
Sébastien Desabre has constructed a defensive identity across 57 games that has produced 29 clean sheets. The back-five system used against Portugal and Colombia is the expression of that philosophy: two banks, deny space, spring on the counter through Wissa.
Fayulu saved TWO penalties in DR Congo’s qualifying shootout vs Nigeria
Substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu saved two spot-kicks against Nigeria to secure a decisive step toward World Cup qualification. He is waiting on the DR Congo bench in Atlanta — a named shootout specialist whose tournament record from 12 yards makes any penalty scenario genuinely interesting.
Best guess at kickoff
England’s right-back selection is the single biggest team-news uncertainty — the exact starting choice among Spence, O’Reilly and Quansah (ankle concern) is unconfirmed. Anderson’s fitness (glute/dead-leg) is a minor watch. DR Congo’s back-five shape is the more likely choice against possession-heavy England (used vs Portugal and Colombia); the third centre-back and right wingback position has multiple candidates (Batubinsika, Kalulu). Confirm against official team sheets on the day.
Harry Kane scores again and extends his England World Cup record.
The game is goalless at half-time — England’s deep-block frustration continues into a third straight knockout-style first half. A set piece produces the opening goal, as it did against Panama. Yoane Wissa has at least one clear sight of goal on the counter; DR Congo’s threat is real even in defeat. A substitute (Eze, Rashford or Mainoo for England) influences the breakthrough.
One Player Nobody Is Talking About
Noah Sadiki. The 21-year-old Sunderland midfielder is DR Congo’s ‘breakout’ of the group stage — athletic, progressive, and the ball-carrying engine that makes Desabre’s midfield screen function. The preview conversation around DR Congo has focused on Wissa’s goals, Mbemba’s leadership and Wan-Bissaka’s defensive assignment — Sadiki is the player who does the invisible work between them, breaking England’s rhythm in the pressing transitions and providing the forward carry that creates space for the counter. At 21 and playing in the Championship, he is already drawing attention that suggests this World Cup will not be his only appearance on this stage.
A second-half set piece or Bellingham-instigated move breaks a frustrating deadlock after the hour, followed by a late insurance goal once DR Congo are forced to commit bodies forward. Man of the Match: Jude Bellingham — projected to provide the creative spark (goal or assist) that finally unlocks the Leopards’ block, as he did against Panama.
England’s quality, depth and set-piece threat should overcome a disciplined but offensively limited DR Congo, especially with the roof negating the heat. The most probable script is the now-familiar England pattern: dominate, get frustrated, break through late, add a second. DR Congo’s clear danger — Wissa on the counter, the improvised England right-back, a possible shootout — makes a comfortable result less than guaranteed. Score: England 2-0. Confidence: moderate-to-high on the result (England to advance); lower on the exact scoreline. A 1-0 England win or extra-time/penalties drama are both live alternatives, and a DR Congo upset, while against the run of probability, is a credible enough threat that we would not call this a certainty.
DR Congo winning 90 minutes would be the tournament’s earthquake — but the upset route is real
Nobody would be surprised by England winning but only after a frustrating, low-scoring slog. DR Congo parking a back five and defending for their lives. England’s makeshift right-back being targeted relentlessly. Kane scoring; Bellingham involved in the decisive goal. A late England goal turning a 1-0 into a 2-0 — all of these fit the expected script and the now-established pattern of Tuchel’s England.
What would shock the tournament: DR Congo winning in 90 minutes and dumping a tournament favourite out at the first knockout hurdle. England being beaten in a penalty shootout, with Fayulu repeating his qualifying heroics from the Nigerian shootout. A multi-goal DR Congo win — a true earthquake given the quality gap. England conceding two or more to a side that scored four goals in the entire group stage. Any of those outcomes would become the defining story of the 2026 World Cup’s first knockout round.
For DR Congo, simply reaching the last 16 would be the greatest result in the nation’s football history — uncharted territory that would cement Desabre’s project as a continental benchmark.