England — DR Congo match: the way to the 2026 World Cup, when and at what time to watch

England is entering the 2026 World Cup playoffs as one of the tournament's favorites, but DR Congo has already turned this World Cup into a survival story. The match will take place on July 1 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta (USA) at 19:00 Moscow time. England won Group L, and DR Congo is approaching the game on an emotional wave after a historic playoff appearance.

England and its main figures

Thomas Tuchel's team passed the group confidently, although not without mistakes.: 4-2 with Croatia, 0-0 with Ghana and 2-0 with Panama, with the victory over Panama securing the first place in Group L. The main faces of the team are Harry Kane with three goals and Jude Bellingham, who combines the ball's advance with decisive inclusions in the penalty area. Pickford is also important, because after the scoring match against Croatia, England gave away two consecutive dry matches.

DR Congo and its heroes

DR Congo's path was harder and more dramatic: a historic 1-1 with Portugal, 0-1 against Colombia and 3-1 with Uzbekistan, after which Sebastien Desabre's team reached the playoffs. The main characters are Ioan Vissa, who brought the country the first goal and the first point at the World Cup, and then scored twice in the decisive game against the Uzbeks. Also, we must not forget about Fistono Mayele, the author of the decisive goal with Uzbekistan and Chanel Mbembe as the leader of the defense and the emotional center of the squad.

How can the match go

The most realistic scenario of the game is England's control, positional attacks and pressure on the semi—flanks, where Bellingham, Saka and Rhys James are able to stretch the opponent's defense. DR Congo's answer is a more vertical game, a quick exit into free space and a bet on the jerks of Wissa and Mayele; the key duels will be at Consa and Gaia against the first wave of counterattacks and in the support zone, in which Rice will face the physically powerful Pikel and Mutuss.

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This is a match in which status works for England, and tournament inertia and psychological freedom work for DR Congo. It is logical to wait for the pressure of the favorite and the segments where DR Congo will look for its chances through counterattacks.