England vs. DR Congo: History suggests World Cup last-32 tie will be nail-bitingly tense

Despite their indifferent performances during the World Cup radical stages, England are the wide favourites to flooded DR Congo successful Wednesday's last-32 tie.

The Three Lions scored six times and kept 2 cleanable sheets successful games against Croatia, Ghana and Panama, portion DR Congo were reliant connected a celebrated comeback against Uzbekistan connected Saturday nighttime to grounds their first-ever World Cup victory.

Nevertheless, arsenic Paraguay and Morocco person shown successful eliminating Germany and Netherlands, this World Cup has the imaginable to proceed to propulsion up surprises, and DR Congo beating England could correspond the biggest of the lot.

Although Thomas Tuchel's broadside volition beryllium expected to travel done the game successful Atlanta and acceptable up a last-16 necktie successful Mexico City, Sports Mole highlights wherefore they should not expect to person things their ain mode against opponents who volition play a akin benignant to Ghana, who held England to a goalless draw.

Why England should fearfulness DR Congo's Africa Cup of Nations knockout record

While DR Congo cannot assertion to beryllium 1 of Africa's biggest planetary teams, reaching 1 quarter-final and 2 semi-finals crossed the past 7 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations highlights wherefore they bid respect.

When it comes to knockout ties successful that contention since 2017, the Leopards person mislaid 4 of six specified games, portion the lone clip that they person prevailed crossed mean clip is successful a 3-1 triumph implicit Guinea successful 2023.

However, adjacent successful defeat, DR Congo person ever been competitory during that period, with the biggest borderline of decision being a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Ghana and 1-0 reverse to Ivory Coast.

DR Congo person besides gone down to Madagascar connected penalties, and astir precocious mislaid 1-0 to Algeria aft other clip successful the past 16 successful 2025.

Meanwhile, little than three-and-a-half years person passed by since DR Congo upset Egypt, earning a 1-1 gully earlier prevailing 8-7 successful an epic punishment shootout .

Not lone is that different illustration of however DR Congo tin grip playing the bigger nations, England should not disregard that conscionable 7 goals person been conceded successful their past 12 matches astatine the Africa Cup of Nations.

Such a antiaircraft rearguard has continued astatine the World Cup, with Sebastien Desabre's broadside shipping conscionable 1 extremity successful each of their 3 radical games, including successful a 1-1 gully versus Portugal.

England seldom advancement done World Cup knockout ties successful regular fashion

As acold arsenic England are concerned, they stay a federation that has ne'er mislaid to African absorption astatine a World Cup, adjacent if they were reminded of the prime and resoluteness that stems from the continent during the 0-0 stalemate with Ghana.

That said, successful England's past 7 opening knockout-stage ties astatine a World Cup since 1990, they person made airy enactment of the absorption connected conscionable 2 occasions.

Those examples are 3-0 victories implicit Denmark (2002) and Senegal (2022), with 3 of the different 5 matches going to other time.

England bushed Belgium aft other clip successful 1990, mislaid to Argentina connected penalties successful 1998 and overcame Colombia successful a shootout successful 2018.

The Three Lions besides scraped past Ecuador successful stifling conditions successful 2006 courtesy of a David Beckham escaped kick. Ecuador could await astatine precocious altitude successful Mexico City successful the past 16.

Meanwhile, this remains an England broadside that person failed to people much than erstwhile connected 4 occasions successful their 7 fixtures during 2026.