England vs DR Congo — Everything You Need to Know Ahead of Tonight’s World Cup Knockout Clash
This is it. The group stage is done, the permutations are behind us, and England’s 2026 World Cup now enters the part that actually matters. Tonight, Thomas Tuchel’s side face DR Congo in the round of 32 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and there is no margin for error. Win and England move into the last 16 to face Mexico. Lose and the tournament is over.
Here is everything you need to know before kick-off.
When and where
Kick-off is at 5pm BST tonight, Wednesday 1 July, live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. If you are heading out to watch it, most venues will have it on from around 4:30pm. The match is being played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia — capacity 75,000 and one of the largest venues of this expanded 48-team tournament.
The state of England’s campaign so far
It has been a group stage of three very different acts. The opening 4-2 win over Croatia was as good as England have looked in years — attacking, direct, confident, with Harry Kane scoring twice and Jude Bellingham adding a third in a performance that briefly made the entire country believe this could genuinely be the year. The 0-0 draw with Ghana brought everyone back down to earth. England had 78.8% possession — a World Cup record for a team that failed to score — and looked utterly incapable of breaking down a side ranked 64th in the world. The 2-0 win over Panama steadied the ship, with Bellingham and Kane doing just enough to seal top spot in Group L, though it was harder work than the scoreline suggested.
Seven points from the group. Top of Group L. Unbeaten. And yet, the lingering sense that this England side has not yet hit its stride.
The injury picture — and a right-back crisis
Tuchel has confirmed three changes from the Panama game and they are driven largely by necessity rather than choice. Tino Livramento dropped out of the squad before the tournament with a calf injury, Reece James suffered a hamstring problem that kept him out of the Panama game and now rules him out of tonight’s match entirely, and Jarell Quansah — who replaced James against Panama — went off with an ankle injury and has also been ruled out.
That leaves England without a recognised right back for tonight’s game. Djed Spence, who is in the squad primarily as a left back, comes into the starting eleven alongside the return of Declan Rice, who missed the Panama game with a calf issue but has trained fully this week. Noni Madueke also comes back into the side, with Morgan Rogers and Bukayo Saka — who is being carefully managed with his Achilles — dropping to the bench.
Predicted lineup
Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
Elliot Anderson has been one of England’s unsung performers in this tournament, leading the squad for line-breaking passes, possession won and duels won across the group stage. Bellingham remains the creative heartbeat. And Kane, who broke the England World Cup goals record against Panama, will be desperate to add to his tally tonight.
Who are DR Congo?
This will be the first ever competitive meeting between England and DR Congo, and the Leopards arrive on the back of a genuinely impressive group stage run. They finished third in Group K — behind Colombia and Portugal — but their 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan, in which Yoane Wissa scored twice having come from 1-0 down, secured their place in the knockout rounds for the first time in the country’s history.
Wissa is the danger man. The Newcastle United forward has been in outstanding form for his country, scoring 75% of DR Congo’s goals at this tournament and averaging a goal every 90 minutes — a remarkable return for a player who managed just three goals for his club all season. His ability to carry the ball at pace and arrive in dangerous areas off the shoulder of the last man will test England’s makeshift right side.
Coach Sebastien Desabre is expected to revert to the 5-3-2 that served DR Congo well against Portugal after switching to a 4-4-2 for the Uzbekistan game. With Chancel Mbemba — their experienced captain with over 100 caps — marshalling the defence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right wing-back and Cedric Bakambu alongside Wissa up front, this is a side built on organisation, defensive solidity and the capacity to hurt you on the counter.
DR Congo’s predicted lineup: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kapuadi, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Kayembe; Wissa, Bakambu.
What England need to do
The risk for England tonight is the same risk that materialised against Ghana. If Tuchel’s side sit back, allow DR Congo to defend deep and invite pressure rather than creating it themselves, this could become a very long evening. The 0-0 draw with Ghana showed that possession without purpose achieves nothing, and DR Congo are built — much like Ghana — to frustrate and counter.
The key will be getting Bellingham and Kane into dangerous positions early, using England’s set-piece threat — their strongest weapon across the tournament — and maintaining the kind of proactive attacking intent that made the Croatia performance so impressive. Patience will be required. Chances may be limited. But England have the quality to create moments, and a side making their first ever World Cup knockout appearance may struggle to contain Kane at his best for a full 90 minutes.
Opta gives England a 73.9% chance of winning in regulation. The draw is assessed at 14.8% and a DR Congo victory at 11.3%.
If England win
Victory tonight sets up a last-16 tie with either Mexico or Ecuador — with the co-hosts having topped Group A and widely expected to progress. A potential quarter-final against Brazil awaits beyond that, and the theoretical route through to the final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey runs through Argentina in the semi-finals. It is the draw most England fans wanted. It is also the draw that offers no guarantees.
Tonight is the first step. Get past DR Congo, and this tournament starts to get really interesting.
