A place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 will be up for grabs when England face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a landmark knockout fixture. England progressed through the group stage unbeaten, while DR Congo secured their first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout rounds with a series of determined performances.
England finished top of their group under Thomas Tuchel with seven points, defeating Croatia 4-2 and Panama 2-0 after being held to a goalless draw by Ghana.
Although the Three Lions have been defensively solid, there is still room for improvement in attack. DR Congo impressed under Sébastien Desabre by earning a draw against Portugal, pushing Colombia close in a 1-0 defeat, and sealing qualification with an outstanding 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan.
Read our England vs Congo DR prediction before staking your money.
England vs Congo DR prediction for the 2026 World Cup
It is do or die. That is exactly why the prediction below zeroes in on the strongest bet for this knockout World Cup tie.
Here is our pick:
England Win To Nil
Who are the favourites?
Based on the leading UK-licensed bookmakers, England is tipped to come out on top, with 74% of the odds leaning towards their win.
Looking for more? Browse all the World Cup odds and dig into this and other ties from the planet's biggest football tournament.
England vs Congo DR: head-to-head
England and Congo DR share no recent head-to-head record, so this is effectively their first meeting in years.
England at the 2026 World Cup
England arrive having already played 3 match(es) at the 2026 World Cup. Here is the record for England National Team:
At the World Cup:
2 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 0 loss(es)
2.33 point(s) per game on average
6 goals scored at the World Cup (2 per game)
2 goals conceded at the World Cup (0.67 per game)
England National Team in 2026
12 win(s), 2 draw(s) and 1 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Harry Kane with 8 goal(s)
Most assists: Declan Rice with 4
Congo DR at the 2026 World Cup
Congo DR go into this tie with 3 match(es) already behind them at the 2026 World Cup.
Here is what Congo DR National Team have managed so far:
At the World Cup
1 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 1 loss(es)
1.33 point(s) per game on average
4 goals scored at the World Cup (1.33 per game)
3 goals conceded at the World Cup (1 per game)
Congo DR National Team in 2026
11 win(s), 4 draw(s) and 3 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Cédric Bakambu with 4 goal(s)
Most assists: Yoane Wissa with 3
England vs Congo DR statistics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Before you stake anything, look over the side-by-side comparison that sheds light on each nation's current form for this World Cup tie:
England
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | W D W W W |
2.6 |
| Home | D W W W L |
2 |
| Away | W W W W W |
3 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 67% | 50% | 100% |
| Goals | 2.67 | 3 | 2 |
| Scored | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Conceded | 0.67 | 1 | 0 |
| Both Teams to Score | 33% | 50% | 0% |
| Without Conceding | 67% | 50% | 100% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 50% | 0% |
| 1st to Score | 67% | 50% | 100% |
|
xG
|
2.12 | 2.18 | 1.98 |
|
xGA
|
0.88 | 0.77 | 1.11 |
Congo DR
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | W L D D W |
1.6 |
| Home | W D W W W |
2.6 |
| Away | L D W L W |
1.4 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 33% | 100% | 0% |
| Goals | 2.33 | 4 | 1.5 |
| Scored | 1.33 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Conceded | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Both Teams to Score | 67% | 100% | 50% |
| Without Conceding | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 0% | 50% |
| 1st to Score | 67% | 0% | 0% |
|
xG
|
1.14 | 1.88 | 0.77 |
|
xGA
|
1.26 | 0.6 | 1.6 |
England vs Congo DR probable lineups
See the likely starting eleven below for our England vs Congo DR prediction at the 2026 World Cup.
England Probable XI: Jordan Pickford, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Marc Guéhi, Brennan O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane.
DR Congo Probable XI: Lionel Mpasi, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, Arthur Masuaku, Samuel Moutoussamy, Noah Sadiki, Nathanaël Mbuku, Brian Cipenga, Yoane Wissa, Cédric Bakambu.
The confirmed lineups will be available close to the kickoff time.
How to watch England vs Congo DR live in the UK
Find out below where you can catch England vs Congo DR live during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just remember, kick-off is at 17:00 UK time.
For the full schedule, check our our World Cup live streaming page.
More betting tips for this match
Alongside the main tip given at the top of this article, here are some other strong bets for England vs Congo DR:
Further 2026 World Cup predictions
Browse all of our 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions and keep up with the sharpest analysis from start to finish of the tournament.
Match details: England vs Congo DR
🆚 Fixture England vs Congo DR
🏆 Tournament 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Date Wednesday, 01/07/2026
🕐 Kick-off 17:00 UK time
🏟️ Venue Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 1 AMB Drive North West
Bet responsibly
Betting should stay a bit of fun. Set yourself limits, keep control, and never wager more than you can comfortably afford to lose.
If betting stops being enjoyable or starts to feel like a problem, reach out to GambleAware or GamCare for support.
Sports betting analyst with over ten years of experience in football analysis, match statistics and betting markets.