The World Cup is entering its most intense phase, and today, July 1, 2026, the stadium in Atlanta („Mercedes-Benz Stadium“) will be the arena for the first-ever official match between the national teams of England and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The stakes are huge — a place in the 1/16-finals (round of 32) and continuing on the road to the golden trophy.
The road here: The favorite against the sensation
The English arrive in the eliminations with high self-confidence, after winning their Group L with 7 points. Thomas Tuchel's men started with a bang with a 4-2 win over Croatia, followed by a goalless draw with Ghana and a 2-0 win over Panama. Captain Harry Kane now has three goals to his name in the tournament, while young star Jude Bellingham continues to shine with two goals and an assist.
On the other hand, DR Congo made one of the greatest comebacks. The team, led by Sebastien Desabre, reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history (and their first appearance at a World Cup since 1974, when they played as Zaire). They finished third in a tough Group K with 4 points after a prestigious 1-1 draw with Portugal, a narrow 0-1 loss to Colombia and a memorable comeback from 0-1 to 3-1 against Uzbekistan. The “Leopards“ great weapon is the striker Newcastle's Ioan Wisa, who has scored three of his country's four goals so far.
England's personnel woes
Despite his status as a clear favorite, Thomas Tuchel is facing a serious crisis in the right-back area. Reece James is out with a hamstring injury, and Jarrell Kwanza suffered an ankle injury against Panama. Jed Spence is expected to start at right-back. The good news for the “Three Lions“ is the return of supporting midfielder Declan Rice, who was rested in the last match.
The DR Congo squad has no problems with injured players, and they are expected to rely on an extremely defensive tactic with five defenders and fast counterattacks through Wisa and Brian Chipenga.
Statistics and predictions
First clash: The two teams have never played each other. Tradition against Africa: England are unbeaten against African teams in regular time at the World Cup (5 wins and 4 draws). Supercomputer Rating: Opta's statistical analysis gives England a significant advantage with a 73.9% chance of winning in regular time compared to just 11.3% for DR Congo.The winner of this clash will face the winner of the match between Mexico and Ecuador in the round of 16 in Mexico City. The match starts at 12:00 local time in Atlanta (19:00 Bulgarian time) and will be led by referee Adham Mahadmeh from Jordan.
Sources of information: FIFA.com, Al Jazeera Sport, ESPN and DAZN News