England take on the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the World Cup 2026 last 32 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kick-off set for 12pm local time (5pm BST, 1am AEST). Thomas Tuchel's side, ranked fourth in the world, are heavy favorites against the 41st-ranked Leopards, but DR Congo have already shown they can cause an upset, having held Portugal to a draw and pushed Colombia close in the group stage.
Team News and Lineups
England made three changes from their 2-0 win over Panama. Djed Spence replaced the injured Jarell Quansah at right-back, Declan Rice returned in midfield for Morgan Rogers, and Noni Madueke started on the right wing ahead of Bukayo Saka. The starting XI: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane. Substitutes include Dean Henderson, Trafford, Stones, Saka, Chalobah, Jordan Henderson, Burn, Mainoo, Rogers, Gordon, Watkins, Eze, Toney, James, and Quansah.
DR Congo made one change from their 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, with Ngal'ayel Mukau replacing striker Cédric Bakambu to add an extra midfielder. The lineup: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Masuaku; Mukau, Moutoussamy, Sadiki; Mbuku, Wissa, Cipenga. Subs include Fayulu, Epolo, Kapuadi, Batubinsika, Bongonda, Kakuta, Joris Kayembe, Elia, Tshibola, Bakambu, Pickel, Mayele, Banza, Kalulu, and Edo Kayembe. The referee is Adham Makhadmeh of Jordan.
Pre-Match Comments and Context
Speaking to the BBC before the match, Thomas Tuchel emphasized the need for the right mindset: “We have everything that is most important … commitment, togetherness, team spirit … we need to arrive in the right mindset … we are well prepared … ready to decide the match in the little moments.” He noted that DR Congo's lineup appeared to mimic Ghana's 4-5-1 formation, which held England to a goalless draw in the group stage. “We have a really deep block to drill in and open up … we will be careful in our structure while we attack to not expose ourselves,” Tuchel added.
England have never lost to African opposition at the World Cup, though they have faced tough tests. In 1986, they drew 0-0 with Morocco; in 1990, they beat Egypt 1-0; and in 1998 and 2018, they defeated Tunisia 2-0 and 2-1 respectively. The Three Lions also beat Senegal 3-0 in 2022, though Senegal won a friendly 3-1 in June 2025. DR Congo are competing in only their second World Cup, the first being in 1974 as Zaire, where they lost all three matches without scoring and conceded 14 goals. This time, they have four points and a positive goal difference.
Group Stage Recap
England topped Group L with seven points from wins over Croatia (thrilling opening match) and Panama, plus a goalless draw with Ghana. DR Congo finished third in Group K with four points, securing their first-ever World Cup point with a draw against Portugal, then beating Uzbekistan 3-1 after a narrow loss to Colombia.
Jacob Steinberg, reporting from Atlanta, confirmed the expected lineup changes. The winner of this match will face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the last 16.
