England vs DR Congo prediction tips and odds | World Cup 2026

England face DR Congo in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday at 5pm BST, with Thomas Tuchel's side looking to build on a group stage campaign that produced seven points, six goals and just two conceded across three matches.

The two nations have never met at any level, and the Leopards find themselves in uncharted territory after reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time, having been eliminated at the group stage in their only previous appearance in 1974, when they competed as Zaire.

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Match preview: England vs DR Congo

England opened their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Arlington, where Harry Kane scored twice, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also found the net in a match that demonstrated the attacking depth at Tuchel's disposal but also exposed a defensive vulnerability that Croatia exploited twice.

The goalless draw with Ghana in Boston was more concerning, with the Three Lions managing 19 shots but only three on target, reflecting their struggle to convert dominance into goals against a deep defensive block of the kind they will face again on Wednesday.

Matchday three's encounter with Panama saw Tuchel make five changes to his line-up, bringing in Bukayo Saka, Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Jarell Quansah and Nico O'Reilly, with Declan Rice and the injured Reece James among those rested, though the team faced similar problems to Matchday Two in the early stages.

Despite registering nine shots in the first half, with just two on target, England failed to find the net but eventually broke the deadlock after the interval as Bellingham converted from a Saka corner moments after the hour mark before turning provider five minutes later with a cross for Kane to head home and seal a 2-0 victory over their Central American opponent.

That goal took the captain to 11 World Cup goals and past Gary Lineker as the nation's all-time leading scorer in the tournament, while it also took the Bayern Munich striker's tally for the ongoing global competition to three.

Tuchel has won 10 and drawn one of his 11 competitive matches since taking charge in January 2025, and the German manager will look to lead the Three Lions to another victory as they search for their second World Cup trophy after winning it in 1966.

DR Congo are making only their second World Cup appearance and have already surpassed their previous outing, which came in 1974, when they competed as Zaire and lost all three group games, conceding 14 goals while failing to find the net.

The Leopards qualified for the global tournament by defeating Nigeria on penalties in the African qualifying decider and Jamaica in the intercontinental play-off, and their return to football's biggest competition has seen them write another chapter in history following an impressive group-stage campaign.

Yoane Wissa scored the country's first-ever World Cup goal as DR Congo in a 1-1 draw with Portugal, before a 1-0 defeat to Colombia left qualification in the balance, though a 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan, with the Newcastle United attacker scoring twice, sealed passage as one of the best third-placed qualifiers.

Sebastien Desabre has recorded 25 clean sheets in 51 matches in charge of DR Congo, a rate of approximately 50%, and at this tournament has employed a back five to contain superior opponents while relying on rapid transitions as their primary attacking outlet.

Wissa has scored three of DR Congo's four tournament goals, averaging one every 90 minutes, but the Leopards generated just 0.37 xG against Colombia, underlining the limited quality of their chances against well-organised defences.

England vs DR Congo: team news

England

Reece James is a major doubt due to a hamstring injury that places his participation in this match and the remainder of the tournament in serious question.

Jarell Quansah, who started at right-back in the Panama match, was forced off in the 59th minute after suffering a right ankle sprain, and the Round of 32 clash with DR Congo could come too early for the Bayer Leverkusen defender despite Tuchel's optimism about his recovery.

Meanwhile, Tino Livramento had already been withdrawn from the squad before the group stage with a calf injury and replaced by Trevoh Chalobah, but Djed Spence is likely to start at right-back on Wednesday.

Declan Rice, who was rested against Panama to manage a calf problem, is expected to return to the starting line-up alongside Elliot Anderson, who has been exceptional for England in the tournament.

DR Congo

DR Congo have reported no injury concerns or suspensions heading into this fixture, with Desabre expected to retain the three-centre-back system that produced a clean sheet against Denmark and restricted Portugal to just one goal across the group stage.

Chancel Mbemba, the 31-year-old Lille defender who captains the side with 112 international caps and seven goals, anchors the defence alongside Axel Tuanzebe and Steve Kapuadi, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Arthur Masuaku operating as wing-backs.

Cedric Bakambu is expected to partner Wissa in a two-man attack, with the 35-year-old Betis forward bringing 73 caps and 21 goals to the table, making him the highest scorer in DR Congo's current squad and a vital presence alongside the in-form Newcastle United attacker.

Predicted XIs: England vs DR Congo

Predicted England XI (4-2-3-1): J Pickford; D Spence, E Konsa, M Guehi, N O'Reilly; D Rice, E Anderson; B Saka, J Bellingham, M Rashford; H Kane.

Predicted DR Congo XI (3-4-1-2): L Mpasi; S Kapuadi, C Mbemba, A Tuanzebe; A Wan-Bissaka, S Moutoussamy, N Sadiki, A Masuaku; N Mukau; C Bakambu, Y Wissa.

Head to head: England vs DR Congo

England and DR Congo have never played each other in any context, making this the first senior international meeting between the two nations and eliminating any direct head-to-head evidence from the pre-match analysis.

The Leopards' only previous World Cup experience ended in 1974 without a single point or goal as Zaire, while the Three Lions have reached at least the quarter-finals in four of their last six World Cup appearances, including a run to the semi-finals in Russia in 2018 and the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley.

England have already faced African opposition at this tournament in the goalless draw with Ghana, a match in which the Three Lions held 65.3% possession but managed only three shots on target from 19 attempts, offering a reference point for what a disciplined defensive block can achieve against this squad.

Our England vs DR Congo prediction and tips

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