England vs DR Congo: World Cup Knockout Phase Preview
England step into the World Cup knockout phase on Wednesday night with more questions than they would like hanging over them, yet with the path in front of them still wide open.
At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Group L winners meet DR Congo in the last 32, a tie that looks comfortable on paper but feels anything but. England’s group campaign did its job in terms of results; it did little to silence doubts about whether this richly gifted squad is truly being stretched to its limits.
DR Congo arrive as the highest-ranked of the third-placed qualifiers. That label alone should sharpen English minds. This is not a free hit, not a gentle glide into the last 16. It is the kind of fixture that can expose any hint of complacency.
Right-back roulette and a reshuffled defence
The build-up has been dominated by one position. Right-back has turned into a revolving door for England, and not by design.
Reece James, already a key pillar of Tuchel’s system, missed the Panama match with a hamstring injury. The prognosis now is bleak: his World Cup is effectively over. Jarell Quansah, who had admirably stepped in for James, then rolled his ankle during that same game. Tuchel called it “a matter of days” after the final whistle, but the stakes of knockout football leave no room for half-fit defenders. Quansah is unlikely to be risked.
The consequence is stark. Djed Spence, who came on in New Jersey and steadied things, is set for the biggest start of his international career at right-back. Around him, at least, there is continuity. Jordan Pickford remains in goal. Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi continue as the central pairing, a partnership that has quietly grown in authority. On the left, Nico O’Reilly keeps his place, adding balance and energy on a flank that will be crucial in both directions.
Rice returns, Bellingham drives, Saka pushes through pain
If the defence is patched up, midfield brings the major boost.
Declan Rice is back. Rested against Panama to protect a calf problem picked up in the draw with Ghana, the Arsenal midfielder is expected to return to the XI and reclaim his role as England’s anchor. With him on the pitch, everything looks more stable. Passing lanes open. Transitions make sense. The tempo has a conductor again.
Rice will sit alongside Elliot Anderson, whose emergence in this tournament has been one of its quieter positives. That pairing means Kobbie Mainoo, impressive in flashes, waits his turn from the bench for now.
Ahead of them, Jude Bellingham continues in the number ten role and remains the beating heart of England’s attacking play. When England have needed a moment – against Croatia, against Panama – it has usually been Bellingham who has provided it. He arrives into this knockout tie not just as a star name, but as the side’s most decisive performer so far.
Out wide, Bukayo Saka is still managing the Achilles issue that shadowed his season with Arsenal and has followed him into this World Cup. The pain has not gone away; neither has his importance. He is expected to start on the right, where his combination of work rate and incision remains non-negotiable for Tuchel.
On the opposite flank, Marcus Rashford keeps his place. The competition from Anthony Gordon is real, but Rashford did enough in the group stage to hold the shirt. His direct running and threat in behind offer a different kind of menace, particularly against a DR Congo side likely to sit deep and spring forward when they can.
Kane’s Golden Boot chase and a test of nerve
At the tip of it all, Harry Kane leads the line. Three goals in the group stage have put him firmly in the Golden Boot conversation again, and this is the sort of knockout tie where his blend of finishing and link play can define the evening. He will drop in, drag defenders, create pockets for Bellingham and Saka, and, when the chance comes, he will be expected to finish.
The likely shape is familiar: a 4-2-3-1 that England have leaned on throughout the tournament.
England possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
Kick-off comes at 17:00 BST on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, with BBC One and BBC iPlayer carrying the game live in the UK. A nation will pause again, as it always does, to see which version of England turns up when the stakes rise.
This is the point where reputations harden, where doubts either fade or deepen. Group-stage jitters can be rewritten in 90 minutes. Or they can be exposed.
