World Cup Round of 32: England vs. Congo DR Official Line-ups
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Official starting line-ups have been confirmed for the World Cup Round of 32 match between England and Congo DR.
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Attributed to original sourceEngland bring in former Genoa right-back Djed Spence, while Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Harry Kane try to break down Congo DR in the World Cup Round of 32.
It kicks off in Atlanta at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST) and the winners go on to face Mexico in the Round of 16.
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – JUNE 22: Trevoh Chalobah #12 of England trains during and England Training Session on June 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images) Thomas Tuchel’s team has struggled to impress so far in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, as after beating Croatia in a 4-2 thriller, they were held 0-0 by Ghana and took a long time to finally push past Panama 2-0.
The Democratic Republic of Congo could therefore prove a tricky test, as they too like to pack the defence and close down spaces.
They qualified from the group phase thanks to a 1-1 draw with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia, and 3-1 victory over Fabio Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan.
SALERNO, ITALY – JANUARY 21: Djed Spence of Genoa CFC during the Serie A TIM match between US Salernitana and Genoa CFC – Serie A TIM at Stadio Arechi on January 21, 2024 in Salerno, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) England are forced to make changes, as Tino Livramento withdrew before the tournament began, then both right-backs Reece James and Jarell Quansah sustained injuries.
Now former Genoa full-back Spence is drafted in to start on the right, even though he was used mainly on the left at Tottenham last season.
Rice is both passed fit to start after nursing long-standing fitness issues, but Bukayo Saka is dropped in favour of his Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke.
Congo DR’s squad includes Cremonese midfielder Charles Pickel, who spent the season on loan at Espanyol.
England vs. Congo DR line-ups England: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Congo DR: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Masuaku; Sadiki, Moutoussamy, Mbuku, Mukau; Wissa, Cipenga
01-07-2026 17:00
Round of 32
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
England
DR Congo
vs
Season Analytics
England
Positions
DR Congo
SEASON TOTAL ENG HOME 1 1 0 2 1 0 Last matches 27-06-2026
Panama
W
0 - 2
23-06-2026
Ghana
D
0 - 0
17-06-2026
Croatia
W
4 - 2
23-06-2026
Ghana
D
0 - 0
17-06-2026
Croatia
W
4 - 2
SEASON TOTAL COD AWAY 0 1 1 1 1 1 Last matches
3 - 1
W
Uzbekistan
28-06-2026
1 - 0
L
Colombia
24-06-2026
1 - 1
D
Portugal
17-06-2026
1 - 0
L
Colombia
24-06-2026
1 - 1
D
Portugal
17-06-2026
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What happened
The official line-ups have been announced for the World Cup Round of 32 fixture between England and Congo DR. Both teams have named their starting elevens for the knockout-stage encounter. Line-up announcements are critical for fantasy, betting, and tactical preview purposes, revealing the tactical approach each manager has chosen for this elimination match.
Chance analysis
Official line-up announcements provide direct insight into managerial intent and tactical shape. With knockout-stage stakes, the choices reflect each coach's assessment of the opponent's threats and vulnerabilities. This information is immediately actionable for prediction models that adjust for confirmed availability and formation.
Confirmed line-ups enable precise prediction adjustments for team shape, key player availability, and tactical matchup analysis.
Use confirmed line-ups to update availability and formation models for this knockout match.