{"id":15102,"date":"2026-06-28T11:58:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T15:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/us\/?post_type=news&p=15102"},"modified":"2026-06-28T11:59:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T15:59:23","slug":"match-preview-england-vs-dr-congo-07-01-26-world-cup-2026-round-of-32","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/us\/news\/world-cup\/match-preview-england-vs-dr-congo-07-01-26-world-cup-2026-round-of-32\/","title":{"rendered":"England vs DR Congo: Predictions, Picks, Odds & Stats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

England meet DR Congo at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 1 at 1:00 PM ET \/ 12:00 PM CT \/ 10:00 AM PT, a World Cup 2026 round-of-32 tie that pits the tournament’s most controlled group winner against one of its most stubborn survivors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our England vs DR Congo prediction begins with the shape of the contest. England won World Cup 2026<\/a> Group L and arrive with the underlying numbers of a genuine contender – more possession, cleaner passing, more shots and more xG than most sides left in the draw. DR Congo are here the hard way, advancing as the best third-place finisher across all twelve groups after finishing third in Group K, and they have already proven they can live with elite company. bet365 reads it as a mismatch on paper, pricing England at -371, the draw at +450 and DR Congo at +1100 to win inside 90 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The jeopardy here is not some balanced-team narrative; it is DR Congo’s resilience and Yoane Wissa’s form. They drew 1-1 with Portugal and then beat Uzbekistan 3-1 to scrape through, and four goals from just seven shots on target hints at a side that punishes the few openings it gets. England’s job is to turn control into an early, clean lead and deny DR Congo the transitions that keep a survivor in the tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

England vs DR Congo: Best Bets & Predictions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Five picks to consider across the headline markets, weighted by where the data and the bet365 lines line up most cleanly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Our Prediction<\/th>\nOdds & Sportsbook<\/th>\nConfidence<\/th>\nWhy We’re Backing It<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
England to Win<\/strong><\/td>\n-371 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(78.8%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nEngland carry 8.82 xG, 58 shots and 20 on target across three group games, with two clean sheets and just two goals conceded. DR Congo have conceded in every match, and the -371 line reflects a control gap that runs through every underlying number.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Under 2.5 Goals<\/strong><\/td>\n-111 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(52.6%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nEngland are happy to win these methodically rather than chaotically, and DR Congo’s instinct is to sit compact and break. A measured England lead protected late points to a contest that stays the right side of three goals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Both Teams to Score: No<\/strong><\/td>\n-225 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(69.2%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nEngland have kept two clean sheets in three and concede little of substance. DR Congo’s threat is real but narrow – seven shots on target in three games – so the likeliest route is an England win with the back line intact.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Harry Kane (Anytime Goalscorer)<\/strong><\/td>\n-138 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nKane has three tournament goals, including a brace against Croatia, and remains England’s primary finisher inside a side generating big chances at more than four times DR Congo’s rate. At -138 he is the standout single-player play.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
England 2-0 (Correct Score)<\/strong><\/td>\n+450 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nThe 2-0 scoreline ties the card together: it keeps Under 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score: No intact while reflecting England’s ruthlessness in front and resilience at the back. At +450 the precision is priced as a bonus on a likely outcome.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our approach: anchor with England to Win at the headline price, then lean on the control gap – England’s chance volume and defensive base against DR Congo’s narrow threat – to layer Under 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score: No around an expected one-sided scoreline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.<\/small><\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"bet365<\/a>\t\t\t\t
\n \n Bet365<\/a> <\/span>\n \n First Bet Safety Net – Get Up To $1,000 in Bonus Bets<\/a> <\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n First Bet Safety Net – Get Up To $1,000 in Bonus Bets<\/a> <\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tGet Offer<\/a>
\n Our Score<\/span>\n 9.5<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n Read our review<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t

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World Cup Form & Route to the Round of 32<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both sides arrive here from very different routes. England topped Group L on seven points, the only side in their pool to come through unbeaten, with two wins and a draw flagged by a +4 goal difference. DR Congo’s path was tighter: third in Group K with four points from a win, a draw and a defeat, but a +1 goal difference was enough to lift them to the top of the best third-placed teams table across all 12 groups – the strongest qualifier from third place at this tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Team<\/th>Group<\/th>Pos<\/th>GP<\/th>W<\/th>D<\/th>L<\/th>GF<\/th>GA<\/th>GD<\/th>Pts<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
England<\/td>L<\/td>1<\/td>3<\/td>2<\/td>1<\/td>0<\/td>6<\/td>2<\/td>+4<\/td>7<\/td><\/tr>\n
DR Congo<\/td>K<\/td>3<\/td>3<\/td>1<\/td>1<\/td>1<\/td>4<\/td>3<\/td>+1<\/td>4<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Potential Match-Winners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n