England vs Democratic Republic of Congo live: Democratic Republic of Congo opens the scoring.

England faced the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a crucial World Cup match. With their recent unbeaten run, England were considered the favorites against their third-placed opponents.

Báo Lâm Đồng•01/07/2026

England 0 - 1 Democratic Republic of Congo ● First half — minute 9'

9' The match is in progress
Current score: England 0 - 1 Democratic Republic of Congo.
7' GOAL! DRC (0-1)
7th minute: B. Cipenga (Democratic Republic of Congo) scores (assisted by C. Mbemba). Score: 0 - 1.
0' The match begins
England hosted the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Updated at 23:08 on 01/07/2026

Team lineup updated at 22:53 on 01/07/2026

Official lineup

Older brother

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Coach: Thomas Tuchel

Starting lineup:

1. Jordan Pickford (G)
25. Djed Spence (D)
2. Ezri Konsa (D)
6. Marc Guéhi (D)
3. Nico O'Reilly (D)
8. Elliot Anderson (M)
4. Declan Rice (M)
20. Noni Madueke (M)
10. Jude Bellingham (M)
11. Marcus Rashford (M)
9. Harry Kane (F)

Substitutes:

23. James Trafford
13. Dean Henderson
12. Trevoh Chalobah
5. John Stones
15. Dan Burn
24. Reece James
26. Jarell Quansah
21. Eberechi Eze
14. Jordan Henderson
17. Morgan Rogers
16. Kobbie Mainoo
19. Ollie Watkins
18. Anthony Gordon
7. Bukayo Saka
22. Ivan Toney

Democratic Republic of Congo

Formation: 4-3-3

Coach: Sebastien Desabre

Starting lineup:

1. Lionel Mpasi Nzau (G)
2. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (D)
22. Chancel Mbemba (D)
4. Axel Tuanzebe (D)
26. Arthur Masuaku (D)
6. Ngal'ayel Mukau (M)
8. Samuel Moutoussamy (M)
14. Noah Sadiki (M)
7. Nathanaël Mbuku (F)
20. Yoane Wissa (F)
9. Brian Cipenga (F)

Substitutes:

21. Matthieu Epolo
16. Timothy Fayulu
5. Dylan Batubinsika
24. Gedeon Kalulu
12. Joris Kayembe
3. Steve Kapuadi
11. Gaël Kakuta
18. Charles Pickel
10. Theo Bongonda
15. Aaron Tshibola
25. Edo Kayembe
19. Fiston Mayele
17. Cédric Bakambu
23. Simon Banza
13. Meschak Elia

The match took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The World Cup match between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo will take place at 23:00 on July 1, 2026. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the venue for this clash between a leading representative of European football and an intriguing unknown quantity from Africa.

England's consistent performance

The England team entered this match with considerable confidence, thanks to their consistent playing style. In their last three matches, the team from the land of fog had secured two wins and one draw. Their recent undefeated record demonstrates the effectiveness of their defensive system and their ability to control the game.

England's playing style typically emphasizes tightness and high organization. Given their current form, they are expected to continue dominating the game in search of a favorable result, thereby solidifying their position as a top contender in this year's tournament.

The determination of the Democratic Republic of Congo

On the other side of the battlefield, the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently in 3rd place in the standings with 4 points. The African representative's recent form has been somewhat less consistent than their opponent's. Specifically, in their last 3 matches, they have experienced the following results: 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss.

Despite the fluctuating results, their current third-place position and points total show that the Democratic Republic of Congo is not an easy opponent to bully. The physically strong playing style and ability to create breakthroughs of the Central African players always pose a threat to any defense that is careless or loses vigilance.

Analyzing the match situation

In terms of strength and form, England holds the advantage thanks to their unbeaten run. However, the nature of a World Cup match always holds surprises. The Democratic Republic of Congo, aiming to improve their position and accumulate more points, will undoubtedly enter the game with the highest spirits.

The upcoming match is predicted to be a tense battle of wits between the disciplined English team and the free-flowing, powerful style of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ability to capitalize on opportunities and demonstrate composure in crucial moments will be key to determining the winner at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

England's recent form

June 28, 2026: Panama 0-2 England (Winner)
June 24, 2026: England 0-0 Ghana (Draw)
June 18, 2026: England 4-2 Croatia (Winner)
June 11, 2026: England 3-0 Costa Rica (Winner)
07/06/2026: England 1-0 New Zealand (Winner)

Recent form of the Democratic Republic of Congo

June 28, 2026: Democratic Republic of Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan (Winner)
June 24, 2026: Colombia 1-0 Democratic Republic of Congo (Loss)
June 18, 2026: Portugal 1-1 Democratic Republic of Congo (Draw)
June 9, 2026: Democratic Republic of Congo 1-2 Chile (Loss)
June 4, 2026: Democratic Republic of Congo 0-0 Denmark (Draw)

Rankings

Team	Location	Point	form
Democratic Republic of Congo	3	4	WLD

Team form and statistics

He (the landlord)

Form in the last 5 matches: WDW

Statistics for this season:

Matches played: 3
Wins: 2 (1 at home)
Draw: 1 (1 home game)
Losses: 0 (0 at home)

Goal:

Scored: 6 goals (Average: 2.0 goals/match)
Goals conceded: 2 (Average: 0.7 goals/match)

Democratic Republic of Congo (Guest)

Form in the last 5 matches: DLW

Statistics for this season:

Matches played: 3
Wins: 1 (0 away)
Draw: 1 (1 away game)
Losses: 1 (1 away game)

Goal:

Scored: 4 goals (Average: 1.3 goals/match)
Goals conceded: 3 (Average: 1.0 goal/match)

Force situation

England

R. James: Hamstring Injury (Missing Fixture)
J. Quansah: Sprained Ankle (Missing Fixture)

Congo DR: No injury information available.

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