England will face DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32 after the central African side advanced from their group as one of the best third-placed teams. It is DR Congo’s first appearance in the tournament’s knockout phase.
Their route through the group was built on resilience: a 1-1 draw with Portugal, a narrow 1-0 defeat by Colombia and a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. Under head coach Sebastien Desabre, DR Congo have become harder to break down, with the BBC source noting 29 clean sheets in 57 matches during his tenure.
The tactical picture is flexible rather than fixed. DR Congo used a back-five shape early in the tournament before moving to a 4-4-2 against Uzbekistan, while their attacking danger is expected to come from quick breaks and runs behind the defence, particularly through Yoane Wissa and Cedric Bakambu.
There is also a wider football story around this team. DR Congo’s only previous World Cup appearance came in 1974, when they competed as Zaire and lost all three group matches, including a 9-0 defeat by Yugoslavia. More than five decades later, Desabre’s side now carry a very different narrative into a knockout tie with England.
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