Thomas Tuchel has warned that England will only reach the glamorous stages of the World Cup if they remain patient and avoid panic when facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the last 32. The match takes place in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon, with England heavy favourites to advance.
Tuchel urges calm against defensive DRC
Despite England's strong group stage performance, Tuchel is acutely aware of the threat posed by the DRC, who are expected to employ a low block—a challenge England have faced in three of their four games so far. The German coach stressed that a successful group stage is no cause for celebration, as expectations remain high.
“We are not at the stage yet where you get full praise for what you do, because every one of us expects to win,” Tuchel said. “Every one of you expects us to win, every one of the fans expects us to win, so we’re just matching at the moment our own expectations.”
He added: “There is not a lot of gain. There’s not a lot of praise. Still you face a team that don’t allow a lot of chances. It can be tiring, it can be a bit nerve-racking. It can be monotonous to break this block down. But that’s where the energy goes to, where the mindset has to be: that we don’t freak out; we don’t start to doubt. We keep believing and do our things. Encourage the players, because clearly there is commitment and togetherness.”
Tuchel’s knockout pedigree
Tuchel boasts an impressive record in knockout football, having won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021. The Football Association hired him partly for his ability to thrive in high-stakes matches. “I just love it,” he said. “It just gives an extra edge. It’s what makes the FA Cup special and Carabao Cup. The first rounds of FA Cup and the rounds of 32s in the Carabao Cup, they’re not sexy. They’re not glamorous. You need to overcome them, and later it becomes glamorous, it becomes a big event. In Champions League, the first rounds, you need to overcome it.”
England’s recent struggles against defensive teams
England drew with Ghana last week and took 62 minutes to open the scoring against Panama on Saturday. Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of facing defensive sides. “You need to go out of the group, and then you need to find the win,” he said. “You need to wear opponents down. You know that they have quality. Now in the first knockout, we will face a copy of Ghana, a copy of Panama, a proud team, a defensive team, a committed team to defending, a quick team, happy to counterattack.”
He stressed the importance of managing expectations: “We need to get our expectations right, that we are not frustrated, that we keep on doing what we’re doing, that we keep on believing. Everyone expects us now to beat DR Congo. We are the first ones to expect it from ourselves. It just doesn’t mean that it will happen. We still have to do an awful lot to do it. But we still expect it from us, so fair enough.”
Team news and injury updates
England have been preparing for penalties, and Tuchel must decide on potential changes. Declan Rice will return in midfield, while Djed Spence is likely to start at right-back due to injuries to Reece James (hamstring) and Jarell Quansah (twisted ankle). Marcus Rashford is expected to keep his place on the left, and a decision is pending on Bukayo Saka, who has been managing an achilles problem and may not start for the second time in five days.
Tuchel hopes James and Quansah will be available for a potential last-16 tie in Mexico City on Sunday. “They’re getting closer and closer,” he said. “I saw both of them on the training pitch. In the nature of the injury Jarell is a little bit ahead of Reecey. The race was close to be in the match squad this time. We need to make sure they have more matches.”
Superstitions and lucky charms
Tuchel, who wore lucky shoes during Chelsea’s Champions League run, has not brought them to the US but maintains superstitious routines. He revealed that his daughters gave him lucky charms but declined to elaborate. “I have my routines and my things I cannot talk about,” he said. “I believe if I tell you then it’s bad luck.”
England vs DR Congo: Key numbers
- Population: England ~57 million; DRC ~116 million
- Area: England 50,371 sq miles; DRC 888,000 sq miles
- GDP per capita: England £46,750; DRC £1,120
- FIFA ranking: England 4th; DRC 41st
- Squad value: England £1.25bn; DRC £123.89m
- Most expensive player: England Jude Bellingham (£111.95m); DRC Noah Sadiki (£30.14m)
- Best World Cup finish: England winners; DRC last 32 (current)
- All-time World Cup goals: England 104; DRC 4 (all this tournament)
