{"id":16598,"date":"2026-07-01T21:26:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T15:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=16598"},"modified":"2026-07-01T21:26:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T15:56:05","slug":"fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | England vs DR Congo | Match Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i>Round of 32 | Atlanta Stadium | Tuesday, 1 July \u2014 9:30 PM IST<\/i><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#Match_Overview\" title=\"Match Overview\">Match Overview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#Team_Analysis\" title=\"Team Analysis\">Team Analysis<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#England\" title=\"England\">England<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#DR_Congo\" title=\"DR Congo\">DR Congo<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#Head-to-Head_Record\" title=\"Head-to-Head Record\">Head-to-Head Record<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#Tactical_Preview\" title=\"Tactical Preview\">Tactical Preview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview\/#Prediction_and_Verdict\" title=\"Prediction and Verdict\">Prediction and Verdict<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Match_Overview\"><\/span><b>Match Overview<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>England arrive in Atlanta as group winners but not without questions. The 4\u20132 over Croatia was everything Tuchel&#8217;s team can be \u2014 attacking, organised, with goals from multiple sources. The 0\u20130 against Ghana was the other version: dominant in possession, unable to crack a compact defensive block, and frustrated by a draw that felt smaller than the performance. DR Congo know exactly how to defend deep, and that is how their set-up will be.<\/p>\n<p>DR Congo have done something no side from their country has managed in half a century \u2014 reached a World Cup knockout stage. They drew 1\u20131 with Portugal, lost narrowly to Colombia by a single goal, then beat Uzbekistan to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed teams. S\u00e9bastien Desabre&#8217;s defensive structure has been genuine \u2014 compact, organised, and built to absorb pressure. England must find the answer here that eluded them against Ghana.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><i>Watch the <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\"><i>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 <\/i><\/a><i>live in India on ZEE 5. Choose the \u20b9799 quarterly plan or the \u20b91,699 annual plan to stream every match of the tournament.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Team_Analysis\"><\/span><b>Team Analysis<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"England\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/england\/england-squad\"><b>England<\/b><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Tuchel&#8217;s 4\u20132\u20133\u20131 is the most coherent England setup in years. Declan Rice anchors the midfield and drives the press \u2014 his ability to win the ball and restart quickly is the engine behind everything England do offensively. Jude Bellingham operates between midfield and attack, arriving in the box late and producing in decisive moments. Bukayo Saka creates from the right; Kane drops to link and draw defenders. The concern entering the knockouts is fitness: Rice has a calf injury, and Reece James sustained a hamstring problem. Tuchel won&#8217;t gamble with either.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key Player: Jude Bellingham \u2014 <\/b>At 22 and established at Real Madrid, Bellingham is England&#8217;s defining talent at this tournament. He scored against Croatia and has been the difference between England performing and stagnating in the moments that matter. Against a DR Congo side that will defend deep, his late arrivals into the box and ability to create from nothing are what Tuchel&#8217;s system needs most.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DR_Congo\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/congo-dr\/congo-dr-squad\"><b>DR Congo<\/b><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Back at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, DR Congo brought a squad of European-based players and a clear defensive identity. Chancel Mbemba \u2014 100-plus caps at Lille \u2014 organises the defensive line with authority. Arthur Masuaku&#8217;s wing-back runs created the cross for their Portugal equaliser. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, born in London and developed through the English football system, covers the right side. C\u00e9dric Bakambu brings 21 international goals and the clinical quality Desabre needs on the counter.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key Player: Yoane Wissa \u2014 <\/b>The Newcastle forward scored DR Congo&#8217;s first World Cup goal in 52 years \u2014 a header against Portugal in Houston that sent an entire nation into shock. Quick, direct, and technically sharp in the final third, Wissa is DR Congo&#8217;s most dangerous attacking weapon. He has spent years competing in the Premier League; England\u2019s defenders know exactly what he offers. Containing his counter-attacking runs will be one of Tuchel\u2019s primary defensive instructions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Head-to-Head_Record\"><\/span><b>Head-to-Head Record<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>England and DR Congo have no meaningful history of senior international matches between them. Separate confederations, paths that rarely cross. This is their first meeting at a World Cup. What matters is what both teams have done in the past three weeks \u2014 and on that measure, England&#8217;s ceiling is clearly higher, even if DR Congo&#8217;s group stage record is more impressive than the numbers suggest.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tactical_Preview\"><\/span><b>Tactical Preview<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>England will press high and create through Saka&#8217;s movement on the right before the defensive shape can reorganise. Against Croatia, the combinations clicked from the first whistle. DR Congo will face the same problem \u2014 England create simultaneously from multiple areas, so closing one route opens another. Kane dropping deep to link is the key mechanism: when DR Congo&#8217;s centre-back tracks him, the space appears behind for Bellingham&#8217;s run.<\/p>\n<p>DR Congo will sit in a compact mid-to-low block, let England have possession, and wait for the moment to release Wissa on the counter. If England&#8217;s fullbacks push forward and Rice is caught upfield, the channel Wissa runs into is Tuesday&#8217;s most dangerous corridor. The Ghana draw shows the risk is real \u2014 not every defensive block gets unlocked, and England can run out of ideas when the space doesn&#8217;t appear.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prediction_and_Verdict\"><\/span><b>Prediction and Verdict<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>England have the individual quality and tactical structure to win this. Bellingham and Kane in form, Rice anchoring the press, Saka creating from the right \u2014 the combination is more than DR Congo have encountered in this tournament.<\/p>\n<p>But Desabre has shown he can organise a side to hold out against better opponents, and Wissa on the counter is a genuine danger. England has the edge here. But it is going to be a tough fight.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><i>ZEE 5 is the official streaming home for the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 in India. England vs DR Congo kicks off at 9:30 PM IST on 1 July \u2014 check available<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\"><i> ZEE 5\u00a0 FIFA subscription <\/i><\/a><i>plans and stream the match live.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Round of 32 | Atlanta Stadium | Tuesday, 1 July \u2014 9:30 PM IST Match Overview England arrive in Atlanta as group winners but not without questions. The 4\u20132 over Croatia was everything Tuchel&#8217;s team can be \u2014 attacking, organised, with goals from multiple sources. The 0\u20130 against Ghana was the other version: dominant in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":16599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3419,3031,3358],"class_list":["post-16598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-england-vs-dr-congo-match-preview","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-round-of-32"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-47.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | England vs DR Congo | Match 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