England ramp up their bid to end 60 years of hurt on the global stage as they begin their World Cup knockout-stage campaign against DR Congo in the round of 32.
The Three Lions topped Group L after underwhelming draw against Ghana between wins against Croatia and Panama, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham leading the charge by scoring five of the country’s six goals.
However, Tuchel is faced with a mounting injury crisis heading into the do-or-die knockouts, with Jarell Quansah joining Reece James and the already-departed Tino Livramento on the treatment table to leave the German manager struggling for options at right-back.
England know what awaits them if they beat DR Congo, who scraped through by finishing third in Group K, with a mammoth clash against co-hosts Mexico in the cauldron of the Estadio Azteca lined up after they beat Ecuador last night.
Follow all the latest build-up and action from England vs DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32 below:
The lofty numbers behind America’s World Cup boom – but can US go where they’ve never gone before?
Twenty days into the World Cup and the figures are in. The main takeaway? A star-spangled soccer popularity surge is engulfing this 50-state land and, so long as the No 1 act is in town, it shows no signs of relenting.
FOX Sports, who spent $485m to acquire the American television rights for the biggest World Cup of all time, have made no secret of their lofty viewership statistics after the group phase. Even withstanding the contrived punditry from the much-maligned Alexi Lakas, the numbers across the board tell the story of a nation gripped by football in an unprecedented manner.
USA’s opening-game triumph against Paraguay, primetime on Friday night, raked in 19 million viewers, topped up to 26 million when including Spanish-language viewers on Telemundo and Peacock. For their other two group games, that total number did not drop below 23 million. For context, Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration last year drew in 24.6 million viewers across all 15 major US networks. And the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals series win, clinched the day after the US victory over Paraguay, drew in 20.6 million per game across ABC and ESPN.
POLL: Do you think Jude Bellingham is judged more harshly than other England stars?
Tino Livramento has surgery after World Cup injury heartbreak
England defender Tino Livramento has undergone surgery after being forced to withdraw from the World Cup squad, his club Newcastle United has confirmed.
The full-back sustained a calf injury just days before England’s opening match of the summer tournament against Croatia.
Livramento was subsequently replaced in the squad by Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and returned to Newcastle for treatment.
World Cup golden boot standings
1. Kylian Mbappe (France), 6 goals, (2 assists)
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina), 6 goals
3. Erling Haaland (Norway), 5 goals
4. Ousmane Dembele (France), 4 goals (2 assists)
5. Vinicius Jr (Brazil), 4 goals (1 assist)
6. Deniz Undav (Germany), 3 goals (2 assists)
= 7. Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), 3 goals (1 assist)
= 7. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), 3 goals (1 assist)
= 7. Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), 3 goals (1 assist)
= 7. Julian Quinones (Mexico), 3 goals (1 assist)
= 10. Jonathan David (Canada), 3 goals
= 10. Ismael Saibari (Morocco), 3 goals
= 10. Matheus Cunha (Brazil), 3 goals
= 10. Brian Brobbey (Netherlands), 3 goals
= 10. Elijah Just (New Zealand), 3 goals
= 10. Harry Kane (England), 3 goals
= 10. Yoane Wissa (DR Congo), 3 goals
= 10. Kai Havertz (Germany), 3 goals
The joy of the early kick-off
Who doesn’t love an early kick-off? Well, pretty much every English fan when it comes to club football, but this is a different kettle of fish.
England kick off at 5pm BST today, a nice change to the late-night starts we’ve been used to at this World Cup.
It means even the young’uns will get to tune in and watch the clash live, something Thomas Tuchel is delighted about.
“Everyone who is allowed to watch tomorrow, because they have to go to bed early normally, hopefully they feel the spirit,” Tuchel said.
“Hopefully they feel how much it means to this team. I see it every day, I feel it every day, and hopefully we can transmit it through the TVs and make them proud and happy.”
Make sure to enjoy it while it lasts, though. Should England get through, the last-16 clash against Mexico will kick-off at 1am…
The extra motivation of facing England for Aaron Wan-Bissaka
In alternate universe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka would be a World Cup player for England. Today, he lines up against the country he was born in.
The West Ham defender was called up to the England squad by Gareth Southgate in 2019, but had to withdraw through injury and never featured again, choosing to switch his allegiance to DR Congo in 2025.
DR Congo manager Sebastien Desabre says this connection acts as extra motivation for Wan-Bissaka.
Desabre said: “We have some Premier League players who are familiar, some of them were even born in England and that is always a source of motivation.
“But the number one source of motivation is to play against a serious opponent like England or any other top five in the world. It is hard to find anything more motivating than that.”
Why DR Congo will be no pushovers as World Cup finally gets serious for England
As Thomas Tuchel got to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, he couldn’t stop smiling.
“I just love it,” the England manager said, talking about knockout football. “It just gives an extra edge. I love these situations, and I feel it is a privilege.”
It is precisely that attitude, and how it has translated into multiple cup runs and three trophies, that was intended to finally give England an edge in tournaments. Tuchel was appointed because of his success in knockout competition, and now here he and his team are primed.