EA Sports FC 26 has simulated England's World Cup second-round match against DR Congo, predicting a resounding 7-1 victory for Thomas Tuchel's side. The simulation, conducted by the Daily Star, saw England come from behind to dominate, with Jude Bellingham and Eliot Anderson each scoring twice.
England's Right-Back Crisis
England's right-back curse struck again before the match, with Jarrell Quansah becoming the third player in that position to be ruled out due to injury, following Tino Livramento and Reece James. In the simulation, Tuchel opted for Djed Spence at right-back over moving Ezri Konsa or Trevoh Chalobah out of position. The predicted lineup also saw Declan Rice return to midfield, Marcus Rashford keep his place on the wing, and John Stones partner Marc Guehi at centre-back.
Simulated Match Action
DR Congo took a shock lead in the 18th minute when Samuel Moutoussamy capitalised on a Jordan Pickford spill to score. However, Eliot Anderson equalised 10 minutes later with a solo effort, then put England ahead in the 38th minute after a pass from Harry Kane. Just before half-time, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was penalised for handball, and Kane converted the penalty to make it 3-1.
In the second half, Kane scored another penalty after Arthur Masuaku handled a corner, making it 4-1 on 50 minutes. Bellingham then scored twice (58th and 71st minutes), and Rashford added a seventh in stoppage time. The simulation ended 7-1, echoing the same scoreline predicted for England's group-stage win over Panama, which in reality was a tighter 2-0 victory.
Impact and Implications
If this result were to occur in reality, it would send a strong message to other World Cup contenders. However, the simulation's accuracy is questionable given its previous overestimation against Panama. England fans would likely prefer a simpler, injury-free win over a goal-fest at this stage of the tournament.
