01 Jul 2026, 13:48
England face DR Congo in 1/8 final of the 2026 World Cup
- England vs DR Congo: first leg of the 1/8 final at 5pm BST on 2026
- DR Congo beat their opponents in the third round, winning 3-1 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 in the second leg against Portugal
- England will play DR Congo in the first round of the 2026 World Cup after winning their group in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mexico
In match 1, England will play their first 1/8 final tie against DR Congo at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kick-off is at 5pm BST (12pm ET).
DR Congo won their third-round tie: they won 3-1 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 with Portugal. England, meanwhile, secured their place in the tournament after finishing top of Group L and won their play-off match against Panama, winning the group with a 2-0 victory over Mexico.
As for England’s opponents, they beat Mexico. The match is scheduled for six laps (five laps of the match) at Mexico City, and Mexico won 2-0.
Before the match, DR Congo coach: “We are using a 5-3-2 formation, and our key forward is 38.8% likely to score from the counter-attack. DR Congo will be active in attack, with quick transitions, and we will try to break through the opponent’s defence. The stadium will be a difficult place to play, but we will try to make it work.”
For England, the match is a chance to get off to a strong start. “We know we have to be ready for the first half,” said England’s coach. “DR Congo are a dangerous team, and we must not underestimate them.” The match will be broadcast live on BBC One, with coverage also available on BBC iPlayer. DR Congo’s coach said his side are ready for the challenge and believe they can cause an upset.
Tags: Sport/Football