England ramp up their bid to end 60 years of hurt on the global stage as they begin their World Cup knockout-stage campaign against DR Congo in the round of 32.
The Three Lions topped Group L after underwhelming draw against Ghana between wins against Croatia and Panama, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham leading the charge by scoring five of the country’s six goals.
However, Tuchel is faced with a mounting injury crisis heading into the do-or-die knockouts, with Jarell Quansah joining Reece James and the already-departed Tino Livramento on the treatment table to leave the German manager struggling for options at right-back.
England know what awaits them if they beat DR Congo, who scraped through by finishing third in Group K, with a mammoth clash against co-hosts Mexico in the cauldron of the Estadio Azteca lined up after they beat Ecuador last night.
Follow all the latest build-up and action from England vs DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32 below:
Early England team news
Defender Reece James is a confirmed absentee for the Three Lions, with the Chelsea captain facing a fight to recover in time to feature again at the tournament. He’s joined by Jarell Quansah on the treatment table, with the Bayer Leverkusen defender forced to come off during the win over Panama on Saturday.
Djed Spence could feature at right-back, while Ezri Konsa could move to right-back with John Stones coming in at centre-back. Declan Rice should return for the Three Lions, while Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford will hope to start after encouraging performances in the final group game.
Who will the winner face?
The winner will face Mexico, who beat Ecuador 2-0. That match will take place on Monday, 6 July (Sunday, 5 July local time) at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
What an incredible – but hugely daunting – occasion that would be.
Is England vs DR Congo on TV?
England’s last-32 tie against DR Congo kicks off at 5pm BST (12pm ET) on Wednesday, 1 July at the Atlanta Stadium.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match on BBC One. It will also be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
England vs DR Congo LIVE!
England ramp up their bid to end 60 years of hurt on the global stage as they begin their World Cup knockout-stage campaign against DR Congo in the round of 32.
The Three Lions topped Group L after underwhelming draw against Ghana between wins against Croatia and Panama, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham leading the charge by scoring five of the country’s six goals.
However, Tuchel is faced with a mounting injury crisis heading into the do-or-die knockouts, with Jarell Quansah joining Reece James and the already-departed Tino Livramento on the treatment table to leave the German manager struggling for options at right-back.
England know what awaits them if they beat DR Congo, who scraped through by finishing third in Group K, with a mammoth clash against co-hosts Mexico in the cauldron of the Estadio Azteca lined up after they beat Ecuador last night.
Good morning
Hello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of England’s knockout-stage opener against DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32.
We’ll bring you all the latest build-up and team news ahead of today’s earlier kick-off in the United States. Stay tuned!
Will Castle1 July 2026 09:00