England will face DR Congo in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Three Lions topped Group L with wins over Croatia and Panama, along with a draw against Ghana.
Harry Kane also became England's all-time leading World Cup scorer after finding the net in the team's 2-0 victory over Panama.
Despite their strong group-stage campaign, questions remain surrounding Thomas Tuchel's side, and they will be eager to silence the doubters with a convincing win today.
Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images
One of England's biggest concerns at the tournament has been the right-back position. The issue became even more serious after Jarell Quansah suffered an ankle injury against Panama, joining Reece James on the injury list.
When Will Reece James Return?
Ahead of the Round of 32, Tuchel provided an update on both defenders and sounded optimistic about their return.
“They are getting close. They are getting closer and closer. I saw them on the pitch. "In the nature of their injury, Jarell is a little bit ahead of Reecey. But the race was close even to make it into the match squad this time, so we need to make sure that we have more matches. "That is the main focus, and then they will be available very soon.”
England will face a stubborn DR Congo side that conceded just three goals during the group stage.
The Leopards are appearing in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time after producing solid performances in the group phase.
They opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Portugal before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia in their second match. They then secured their place in the Round of 32 with a convincing 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in their final group game.
