England will face the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday for a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while co-hosts the United States prepare for what has been described as the biggest match in the country’s football history.
The Three Lions head into the knockout fixture in Atlanta as favourites but will be wary after Germany and the Netherlands suffered shock penalty defeats to Paraguay and Morocco respectively in the Round of 32.
England manager Thomas Tuchel urged his players not to underestimate their African opponents despite acknowledging his side’s status as favourites.
“We are the favourites, but the Round of 32 has shown that every game is decided by very fine margins,” Tuchel said ahead of the match.
England will look to captain Harry Kane and midfielder Jude Bellingham to inspire victory, although defender Reece James has been ruled out through injury.
DR Congo, meanwhile, have exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stage. Coach Sebastien Desabre said his team would play without pressure, insisting England had more to lose.
“Our World Cup is already a success relative to our goals. The pressure is on England,” he said.
The Congolese squad features several foreign-born players, including Premier League forward Yoane Wissa, while defenders Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe previously represented England at youth level.
Elsewhere, co-hosts the United States will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina in California, with hopes of securing the country’s first World Cup knockout victory in nearly 25 years.
Midfielder Gio Reyna said the players were aware of the significance of the occasion, with an estimated 30 million viewers expected to watch the match across the United States.
“We know what a good run in this tournament could do for football in this country,” Reyna said.
Another Round of 32 fixture will see Belgium’s experienced side, led by Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, face African champions Senegal in Seattle.
On Tuesday, France booked their place in the Round of 16 with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden, inspired by Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice to increase his tournament tally to six goals.
Mbappe and his teammates dedicated one of the goals to coach Didier Deschamps, who recently lost his mother.
Norway also advanced after Erling Haaland scored a late winner in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, securing the Scandinavian nation’s first appearance in the World Cup Round of 16.
