Match Stats

 

• This will be the first ever meeting between England and DR Congo, but England’s second game against an African opponent at this FIFA World Cup (also v Ghana). Only at the 1990 World Cup have they faced two African teams in the same edition before (1-0 v Egypt, 3-2 v Cameroon).

• England will face an African team in a FIFA World Cup knockout stage match for just the third time, following wins over Cameroon (3-2 in the 1990 quarter-final) and Senegal (3-0 in the 2022 round of 16).

• DR Congo will play their first ever FIFA World Cup knockout stage match here. It will be the 11th time an African team have played a World Cup knockout stage game against a former winner of the competition, while only one has managed to progress (Morocco on penalties v Spain in 2022, last 16).

• England are unbeaten in their 11 competitive fixtures under Thomas Tuchel (W10 D1). Only two managers have had a longer unbeaten start in competitive fixtures as the Three Lions boss (excl. penalty shootouts): Ron Greenwood (16 between 1977 and 1980) and Roy Hodgson (14 between 2012 and 2013).

• England ranked third for possession average (65.3%) in the group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Congo DR ranked 38th (38.5%).

• Harry Kane is now England’s all-time top scorer at the FIFA World Cup (11 goals). If he scores in this match, he will move level with Geoff Hurst (4) for knockout stage goals in the competition, with only Gary Lineker (6) netting more than four for the Three Lions.

• Yoane Wissa has scored 75% of DR Congo's goals at the FIFA World Cup 2026 (3/4), averaging a goal every 90 minutes in the tournament. This is as many as he netted in the 2025-26 club season for Newcastle United (3), where he averaged a goal every 301 minutes across all competitions.

• Elliot Anderson leads all England players for line-breaking passes (30), possession won (20) and duels won (24) at the FIFA World Cup 2026 . He was one of only two players with 20+ in each of those three categories in the group stage, along with Ecuador’s Pedro Vite.

• DR Congo winger Brian Cipenga completed six dribbles against Uzbekistan on MD3, on what was his FIFA World Cup debut. Only one player completed more in a group stage match in this tournament: Paraguay’s Julian Enciso v Türkiye (7).

 
England's squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 was named on Friday 22 May
 

England v DR Congo at the World Cup will be shown live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

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