ATLANTA — England and the Democratic Republic of the Congo meet in the Round of 32 of the World Cup in Atlanta on Wednesday.
of three lions They won 2-0 against Panama, with second-half goals from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and will head to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium as winners of Group L. England have played in eight consecutive tournaments, but their only title came 60 years ago. Manager Thomas Tuchel wants to change that, starting with victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
DR Congo was the third-place team in Group K, but drew 1-1 with leaders Portugal and won 3-1 against Uzbekistan, making them the first team in national team history to advance to the Round of 32. Now they will face an England team that will test their strength, determination and defense.
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The second half will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. DR Congo had the ball first.
As everyone expected, DR Congo led England 1-0 at half-time. The Congolese national team is putting on a defensive masterclass with the help of goalkeeper Lionel Mpathi. England have eight attempts on goal. Four of them achieved their goals.
However, they were unable to make any moves and DR Congo came close to scoring again. Ioan Ouissa hit the post in the first half, but he definitely wants to get back.
DR Congo did very well to keep England off the scoreboard, with goalkeeper Lionel Mpathi making three saves. Two of them belong to Jude Bellingham.
Harry Kane went down after a sliding tackle from DR Congo’s kicker, but no foul was called despite being checked. In Atlanta, boos rained down from fans who didn’t agree with the call.
It’s not uncommon for arenas to not be always noisy, but almost too quiet. DR Congo defended very well and kept England scoreless. The loudest noises were fouls and missed goals.
England vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo is the quietest of the six games for Mercedes-Benz.
England also tried to fight back and almost got caught by Jude Bellingham in the 30th minute, but Democratic Republic of Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpathi parried it away.
Sadiki received a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Jed Spence in the 27th minute of the game against England.
Harry Kane looked stunned on the pitch after the Democratic Republic of Congo scored in the seventh minute.
Kane and the many England fans in the stadium fell silent after Brian Shipenga sent the ball into the back of the goal.
In the 19th minute, Jude Bellingham received a yellow card for a sliding tackle that knocked Nathanael Mbuku over.
DR Congo surprised England with an early goal in the seventh minute. Brian Shipenga sent one point into the back of the goal.
Where will the England vs Democratic Republic of the Congo match be played?
The Round of 32 games will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Highlights of England vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
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England are unbeaten (4 wins, 4 losses) in their 9 World Cup matches against African teams, keeping a total of 7 clean sheets.
We are taking action in Atlanta. England and Democratic Republic of the Congo have just kicked off for their Round of 16 encounter.
England have won the chip and will go away.
DR Congo is scheduled to play in a 3-3-4 formation in Atlanta today.
The Democratic Republic of Congo held its World Cup party at Mercedes-Benz on Saturday. This invitation took 52 years to create.
The confetti typical of such events was replaced by florets joyfully thrown into the air as the final whistle blew. After Les Léopards defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, there was some dancing on the pitch and in the stands – a rather impressive butt-sucking for a member of the Democratic Republic of Congo staff.
The victory marked the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first World Cup appearance after two previous appearances (1974 and 2026) and secured the greatest gift for the nation as a whole: their first encounter with England in the Round of 32.
The reasons why the Democratic Republic of Congo participated in the World Cup are as follows:
England captain Harry Kane will have 91 caps after today’s match against DR Congo, making him the most capped England captain.
“It is true that we are the challengers and the underdogs,” Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sebastien Desabres said on Tuesday.
“Obviously there is a difference, but we still showed throughout the 90 minutes that we have the tactical ability to compete against countries like Portugal… I think tomorrow’s game is an opportunity to achieve something big.”
Head coach Thomas Tuchel said: “The team is well-trained. The team is defending at the highest level.”
“The team is well-prepared and it’s hard to break a team, especially when you go in as a favorite, especially when you’re playing against a team that has nothing to lose. That’s it. For me, for us, it’s pretty much helped us calm down and accept the situation and make the best of it.”
Read more about what England are saying about playing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
England and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are scheduled to face off on Wednesday 1st July for a place in the round of 16, with the following teams likely to face each other if both teams progress.
Democratic Republic of the Congo will face England at midday on Wednesday, with both teams aiming for a place in the last 16.
Will Lumumba Bear, a well-known Democratic Republic of Congo fan, play in today’s game against Atlanta? This is the answer.
Democratic Republic of Congo fans are singing early. They began filling Mercedes-Benz Stadium with songs from their country and cheering for their team.
England are at the stadium in Atlanta. The team bus arrived at 10:27 a.m. ET.
The England team is heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as of 10:10 a.m. ET.
The Democratic Republic of Congo team bus arrived at Mercedes-Benz at 10:06 a.m. ET.
The Democratic Republic of Congo national team is on its way to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their Round of 32 clash with England.
England vs Democratic Republic of the Congo predictions, chosen by experts
Seth Terny: England 2-0 DR Congo
England have not been convincing in this tournament, but they have done enough to win when needed. It has been a great trip for the Democratic Republic of Congo, but this England team is stronger than any they have faced in group play.
john arnold: England 1-0 DR Congo
England must be asking when they will again face a team that has not only built a very solid defensive block. Congo is the best I’ve ever seen, but he can still score goals even when he’s exhausted.
Jesse Yomtov: England 3-0 DR Congo
England have not been in good form through three games and now have to face another team who are not interested in playing for wins.
victoria hernandez: England 3-1 DR Congo
DR Congo is one of the teams that showed the world that Africa can play ball. However, England came alive again behind Harry Kane and pushed forward with ease enough.
England vs Democratic Republic of Congo odds
The line-up for England’s round of 32 match against Democratic Republic of the Congo is as follows:
2026 World Cup Team Complete Roster
The lineup for DR Congo’s round of 32 match against England is as follows:
world cup bracket
Explore USA TODAY Sports’ latest brackets here.
