England Rallies Past DR Congo To Reach World Cup Round Of 16

England came from behind after falling behind early in the first half to defeat DR Congo and advance to the Round of 16, where they will face Mexico next. The 2026 World Cup Round of 32 match was played on July 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. England, Group A champions from Europe, faced DR Congo, Group K runners-up from Africa. Manager Thomas Tuchel deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Jordan Pickford, Jed Spence, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi, Nico O'Reilly, Declan Rice, Elliott Anderson, Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford, and Harry Kane. DR Congo, managed by Sebastien Desabre, used a 4-3-3 setup with Lionel Embolo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, Arthur Masuaku, Ngalayel Mukoko, Samuel Moutoussamy, Noah Sadiki, Nathaniel Mbuku, Bryan Sipengka, and Yoan Wissa. In the first half, despite England's territorial dominance and pressure, DR Congo struck quickly in the 7th minute when Bryan Sipengka scored to give the African team a 1-0 lead. England pressed hard but couldn't break through DR Congo's disciplined defense in the second half. In the 75th minute, Harry Kane equalized with a close-range finish, making it 1-1 and his fourth goal of the tournament. Minutes later, Kane scored again in the 86th minute to put England ahead 2-1 and secure advancement to the Round of 16. Kane now sits joint second in the Golden Boot race with Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. England will face Mexico, the co-hosts, in the Round of 16 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico on July 6.