Nobody saw this coming. DR Congo lead England 1–0 at the break in their FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 32 clash at Atlanta Stadium, and the scoreline only tells half the story.
England had four genuine opportunities to equalise. They were denied by a goal-line clearance, two remarkable saves, a stoppage-time block, and a VAR review that has left the English bench incandescent. Lionel Mpasi has just played one of the great first-half goalkeeper performances in World Cup history. England are in serious trouble.
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7′ — The Goal That Shocked Atlanta
DR Congo wasted no time. Captain Chancel Mbemba launched a quarterback-style diagonal — a long, arcing ball that cut clean over the top of England’s defensive line and found Almeria winger Brian Cipenga in space on the right. Cipenga let it bounce to control, composed himself, and drove a low right-footed strike past Jordan Pickford at the near post. 1–0.
It was devastatingly simple. England’s high defensive line, designed to compress space and trigger the offside trap, had been bypassed in a single pass. Tuchel’s side did not have time to process the shock before DR Congo dropped into their defensive block and dared England to find a way through.
England’s Four Attempts — and Why None of Them Went In
Rashford, first. He cut inside his marker inside the box and curled a shot that beat Mpasi completely — only for Arthur Masuaku to sprint back, position himself on the goal-line, and produce a spectacular save. England’s bench rose from their seats. The ball stayed out.
Bellingham, twice. Around the 16th minute, Nico O’Reilly whipped a dangerous left-wing cross into the box. Bellingham timed his jump perfectly inside the six-yard box — only for Mpasi to come off his line aggressively and punch the ball clear with tremendous force before Bellingham could direct his header downward. It was an extraordinary piece of goalkeeping: brave, decisive, and perfectly timed.
Later in the half, Declan Rice delivered a pinpoint aerial cross deep into the penalty area. Bellingham found space on the left side of the box and directed a powerful header toward the corner. Mpasi dived full length to his right and pushed it wide. By this point, Atlanta had fallen silent. Even the neutrals could not quite believe what they were watching.
Then came the 45th minute. England won a corner. The ball threaded through a crowded six-yard box and trickled to the back post where Kane was waiting to tap in. He lunged. Mpasi flung himself across his line. The block was point-blank. The whistle went. Half-time.
The VAR Controversy That England Cannot Let Go
In the 43rd minute, Kane broke past the Congolese centre-backs onto a loose ball and drove into the penalty area. As he pushed the ball past the onrushing Mpasi, the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms made contact, and Kane went down. England screamed for a penalty.
Referee Adham Makhadmeh waved it away immediately. The decision triggered a lengthy VAR review. Replays showed clear contact from Mpasi’s arms on Kane as the ball was played. VAR official Khamis Al Marri reviewed the incident — and concluded it did not meet the threshold for a clear and obvious error.
The referee was never sent to the pitchside monitor. The original decision stood. England’s fury is entirely understandable. Whether it was a penalty is genuinely debatable. That the referee was not asked to look at his own monitor is harder to justify.
What England Need in the Second Half
They need a goal, first. Which sounds obvious, but after four genuine attempts in the first 45 minutes, the psychological weight of this DR Congo defensive performance is very real. Tuchel will need to find a way to change something — perhaps in shape, perhaps in personnel — to create a different kind of problem for Mpasi.
More than anything, England need to keep their composure. The VAR decision, the goal-line clearance, the blocked tap-in — frustration is already high. The worst thing they can do is let it affect their decision-making in the second half.
DR Congo, for their part, are 45 minutes away from one of the great upsets in World Cup history. They will defend with everything they have. The second half starts now.
Don’t miss what happens next — England vs DR Congo continues live on ZEE 5, India’s official home of FIFA World Cup 2026™.
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