June 30, 2026

Trevor Stynes, Reuters

England have yet to hit top gear at the World Cup and after a group stage played with minimum jeopardy, a round of 32 meeting with the Democratic Republic of Congo leaves little margin for error against a side buoyed by already going further than expected.

Thomas Tuchel's England topped Group L, grinding past Panama in a 2-0 win that secured first place and a simpler path in the knockout rounds on paper.

The performance level, however, remains a concern.