England vs DR Congo| FIFA World Cup 2026 — Round of 32 | Preview and Predictions

World Cup contenders England will face a relatively easier opponent in the Round of 32 in the form of African nation DR Congo on 1st July at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, USA. 

For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.

FIFA WC26 | Round of 32: ENG vs COD| 21:30 IST, July 1, 2026

DR Congo qualified for the World Cup after five decades of waiting, near misses and frustrations. Not much was expected from Les Léopards but they have surprised everyone by showing grit and character and proven that they didn’t come into the tournament to add up the numbers but to compete against top European and South American nations. Managing to qualify for the RO32 is a massive achievement for them. 

DR Congo achieved an incredible result in the opening game, drawing 1-1 with Portugal. They narrowly lost to Columbia but defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 in the final game to ensure qualification. Yoane Wissa has been their standout player but adding Aaron Wan-Bissaka to their squad has made a massive difference for them. Captain Chancel Mbemba, Noah Sadiki and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi have been key for DR Congo. 

Their opponents, the Three Lions, are an incredibly talented group of players who are carrying the pressure of being one of the prime contenders for the title. Led by Harry Kane, England started the competition well and put out a statement with a 4-2 win over Croatia. However, they suffered from second game syndrome and ended up in a stalemate with Ghana. England needed a win or a draw in their final game to ensure knockout qualification and won comfortably to book their place in the RO32. Jude Bellingham has yet again shone at the grandest stage for England with captain Harry Kane an ever-important figure for the English team. Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka have put in decent performances from the bench. 

Reese James and Jarell Quansah have both suffered injuries, leaving England short in the right-back department while DR Congo has a fully fit squad at their disposal. 

Thomas Tuchel is now being criticised for selection failures, knowing fully well how unreliable Reese James has been due to injury issues. With his replacement, Quansah also injured, not bringing Trent Alexander-Arnold looks more like a blunder now. This game might not be such an issue but going forward in the tournament, England could really pay for not having a proper right-back. DR Congo’s only hope would be to defend deep and try to surprise England on the counter. However, we still believe England has far too much quality all over the park and should win this one comfortably. 

Score Prediction: England 2-0 DR Congo 

Venue: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA