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:
Read MoreHow Jude Bellingham became England’s very un-English superstar
Reece James and Jarell Quansah miss England training on eve of DR Congo World Cup clash
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England vs DR Congo live updates
- England face DR Congo in World Cup round of 32 | Kick-off at 5pm, live on BBC One
- Thomas Tuchel faces right-back decision amid growing injury crisis
- England will play Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in last-16 if they win
Who will play right-back for England?
10:42 , Will CastleEzri Konsa
Predominantly a centre-back, the Aston Villa defender is favoured by Tuchel for his ability to perform in multiple positions.
He’s filled in at right-back for England before and has the pace to cover against any potential counter-attacking threats.
Points against him moving across are that Tuchel may be reluctant to disrupt the centre of his defence. Konsa has been a permanent centre-back through group stage.
The decision may come down to whether Tuchel trusts his other options to perform as strongly.
Who will play right-back for England?
10:30 , Will CastleWith Jarell Quansah and Reece James both out, let’s take a look at three potential solutions to Thomas Tuchel’s right-back injury crisis:
Djed Spence
Tottenham defender Spence was selected for the England squad due to his versatility across the backline and that has already been proven across England’s group fixtures.
Against Croatia, he came on midway through the second half as a replacement for Jude Bellingham but slotted in at right-back with James pushed up to defensive midfield. Spence performed solidly and combined beautifully with Bukayo Saka on the right wing as the Three Lions pushed for a fourth goal.
In the match against Ghana, Spence was handed a starting berth but at left-back replacing Nico O’Reilly. Though he held his own for the majority of the game, England looked more threatening once O’Reilly replaced him which is perhaps a sign that Spence is more effective in his natural position on the right.
And that’s where he returned when brought on for the injured Quansah against Panama, indicating that Tuchel likely sees him as next in line to start in the position.
POLL: How far will England go?
10:18 , Will CastleJordan Pickford says England ready to ‘go to war’ for Thomas Tuchel at World Cup
10:06 , Will CastleEngland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has declared the squad is prepared to "go to war" for manager Thomas Tuchel as they gear up to face DR Congo in a pivotal World Cup last-32 encounter.
"Belief, togetherness. I think we have had that previously, but I think the manager’s got that belief in us," Pickford said.
"The meetings the manager has with us, it is like you are ready to go to war. He puts that belief in you. There is different meetings he has tactically, and it is like ‘yeah, it is go time’." He added, "We all want the same goal, we all want that end goal and this squad he has picked, we are all in good spirits and all in good moments in our career."
WATCH: England World Cup fan spends £40,000 house deposit on Three Lions trip with father
09:54 , Will CastleGroup stage results
09:42 , Will CastleEngland:
4-2 vs Croatia
0-0 vs Ghana
2-0 vs Panama
DR Congo:
1-1 vs Portugal
0-1 vs Colombia
3-1 vs Uzbekistan
How Jude Bellingham became England’s very un-English superstar
09:30 , Miguel DelaneyAround Thomas Tuchel’s squad, Jude Bellingham is now seen as having “matured”. How couldn’t he, when he’s already twice been a match-winner in England’s World Cup 2026 campaign?
Bellingham is stepping up in the way stars do.
Either way, the squad chemistry is very different to Euro 2024, when there was a lot of commentary about how the then-21-year-old had been absorbing the 10-part Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance.
How Jude Bellingham became England’s very un-English superstar
Predicted line-ups
09:25 , Will CastleEngland XI: Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
DR Congo XI: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, Kapuadi, Masuaku; Mukau, Moutoussamy, Kayembe; Bakambu, Wissa.
Early DR Congo team news
09:20 , Will CastleDR Congo have no new injury concerns after their win over Uzbekistan last time out, so Sebastien Desabre will likely field familiar Premier League names including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe and Yoane Wissa.
Early England team news
09:15 , Will CastleDefender Reece James is a confirmed absentee for the Three Lions, with the Chelsea captain facing a fight to recover in time to feature again at the tournament. He’s joined by Jarell Quansah on the treatment table, with the Bayer Leverkusen defender forced to come off during the win over Panama on Saturday.
Djed Spence could feature at right-back, while Ezri Konsa could move to right-back with John Stones coming in at centre-back. Declan Rice should return for the Three Lions, while Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford will hope to start after encouraging performances in the final group game.
Who will the winner face?
09:10 , Will CastleThe winner will face Mexico, who beat Ecuador 2-0. That match will take place on Monday, 6 July (Sunday, 5 July local time) at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Chris Wilson was in the capital for Mexico’s impressive victory last night - an early warning sign for what may await for England?
Here’s his report:
Mexico dominate Ecuador in ominous World Cup display – and England could be next
Is England vs DR Congo on TV?
09:05 , Will CastleEngland’s last-32 tie against DR Congo kicks off at 5pm BST (12pm ET) on Wednesday, 1 July at the Atlanta Stadium.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match on BBC One. It will also be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
England vs DR Congo LIVE!
09:03 , Will CastleEngland 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.
Good morning
09:00 , Will CastleHello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of England’s knockout-stage opener against DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32.
We’ll bring you all the latest build-up and team news ahead of today’s earlier kick-off in the United States. Stay tuned!
