England have secured their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup, finishing top of their group with seven points from three matches.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were not always convincing, but they did enough to finish ahead of Croatia, Ghana, and Panama to progress as group winners.
Their reward in the last 32 is a tie in Atlanta on Wednesday 1 July against DR Congo, who finished third in Group K.
The Leopards drew with Portugal, lost to Colombia, and beat Uzbekistan during the group stage, conceding just three goals across those three fixtures.
DR Congo are ranked 46th in the world but carry genuine Premier League pedigree, with Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa, West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe, and Sunderland’s Arthur Masuaku all in their squad.
They became the first Sub-Saharan African nation to reach the World Cup back in 1974, competing then under their former name Zaire, and are now appearing in the knockout stages for the very first time.
Should England progress to the last 16, they could face co-hosts Mexico on Monday 6 July in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, a ground that holds 87,500 spectators and sits more than 7,000 feet above sea level.
The altitude presents a genuine physical challenge, with players unaccustomed to those conditions facing shortness of breath, an increased heart rate, and fatigue during matches.
Mexico are ranked ninth in the world and have gone 12 matches unbeaten in competitive football since a 2-0 defeat to Honduras in November 2024.
Ecuador are Mexico’s last-32 opponents and finished third in Group E after a dramatic 2-1 win over Germany, having not conceded more than one goal in any match across a remarkable run of 26 games.
A potential quarter-final on Saturday 11 July could pit England against five-time winners Brazil, coached by Carlo Ancelotti, who topped Group C but drew 1-1 with Morocco in their opening fixture.
Brazil would first need to beat Japan, who finished second in Group F and have not lost in any of their past 16 matches, including a 1-0 friendly victory over England at Wembley in March.
Ivory Coast and Norway are the other possible quarter-final opponents, with the two sides set to meet each other in the last 32.
Ivory Coast boast exciting attacking talent including RB Leipzig teenager Yan Diomande, Inter’s Ange-Yoan Bonny, and Manchester United winger Amad Diallo, while Norway carry the threat of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in their first World Cup since 1998.
If England navigate their way through to the semi-finals on Wednesday 15 July, defending champions Argentina could await, with Lionel Messi having scored five goals in the group stage in the month he turned 39.
Argentina face Cape Verde in the last 32 before a potential last-16 clash, while Colombia, who topped their group ahead of Portugal, sit in the same section of the draw and would face Argentina in a quarter-final if both sides progress.
The final itself takes place on Sunday 19 July in New Jersey, in front of 82,500 supporters, with the opposite side of the draw featuring France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands among the strongest potential opponents.
France and Germany are due to meet at the last-16 stage if both win their openers, while Spain could face Portugal in the same round before a likely semi-final showdown with one of those two heavyweights.
Reaching the final would represent England’s third major tournament final of the decade, a remarkable run of consistency for Tuchel’s squad.
The dream is very much alive, but the path ahead is loaded with obstacles that will test this England side to their absolute limits.
