England vs DR Congo: Harry Kane's Record Three Lions Meet the Leopards in Atlanta

Harry Kane walked off the MetLife Stadium turf last Saturday as the most prolific World Cup scorer England have ever produced, and the reward is a Round of 32 tie that looks routine until you read DR Congo's homework. The Leopards do not arrive in Atlanta to make up the numbers. They arrive on the back of their first World Cup win in more than half a century, in the exact stadium where they got it.

England face DR Congo at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday 1 July, kick-off 12:00 ET, 17:00 BST. It is the same Atlanta pitch where the Leopards beat Uzbekistan in the group stage, so the underdog will not be short on local familiarity or belief.

Group L done the hard, then the easy, way

England topped Group L with seven points and never really looked troubled, even when the football stuttered. The opener against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington was the standout: Kane converted a 12th-minute penalty, Croatia hit back through Martin Baturina, Kane restored the lead before the break, and a Petar Musa strike deep in first-half stoppage time made it 2-2. Then England pulled clear after the interval, Jude Bellingham striking two minutes into the second half and Marcus Rashford finishing it off late for a 4-2 win.

The 0-0 draw with Ghana at Gillette Stadium was the flat night every tournament throws up, but the Panama match at MetLife restored order. Bellingham broke the deadlock on 62 minutes, and five minutes later Kane scored the goal that rewrites the record books: his 11th World Cup goal, one more than Gary Lineker, and England's all-time leading World Cup scorer outright. Final table: England seven, Croatia six, Ghana four, Panama nil.

DR Congo's history is only just starting

Sebastien Desabre's Leopards are at a World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they competed as Zaire. Getting here was an odyssey. They came through CAF qualifying and the play-off route, then survived an intercontinental play-off in March, beating Jamaica 1-0 after extra time with Axel Tuanzebe scoring the goal that finally got them over the line.

In the group, third place from Group K and four points was enough to advance as one of the best third-placed teams. A 1-1 draw with Portugal opened the account, a narrow 1-0 loss to Colombia followed, and then came the night that will be retold for decades. DR Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in Atlanta on 27 June for their first-ever World Cup victory. Eldor Shomurodov put Uzbekistan ahead inside ten minutes, but Yoane Wissa equalised from the spot on 68, Fiston Mayele turned it around on 78, and Wissa sealed it in stoppage time.

"We have to congratulate the players, they were extraordinary," Desabre said afterwards. "We're a team that knows how to respond when we concede." Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro framed the flip side bluntly: "At this level if we make small mistakes, you pay too much." That is exactly the warning England carry into Wednesday.

Team news: a reshuffled right flank for England

The reported England picture has Declan Rice expected to return, which steadies the midfield against a side that punishes turnovers. The complications are on the right. Reece James is unavailable with a hamstring problem, and Jarell Quansah's ankle injury has opened the door for Djed Spence to start at right-back. That is a meaningful reshape against a forward line that has shown it can score in clusters. DR Congo, for their part, reported a clean bill of health.

The path Gareth Southgate's successors can see from here

England fans will already be glancing at the bracket. Win in Atlanta and the Round of 16 lands on 6 July in Mexico City against Mexico or Ecuador, with a quarter-final on 11 July in Miami where Brazil, Ivory Coast or Norway could be waiting. A semi-final back in Atlanta on 15 July would precede a 19 July final at MetLife Stadium. FIFA's seeding means England cannot meet Spain, Argentina or France until the semi-finals at the earliest.

That route is theoretical, and DR Congo are the kind of opponent that makes you stop reading ahead. Wissa is in form, Mayele gives them a focal point, and Desabre's group has already proven it can absorb a punch and counter. England are favourites on quality and depth. The Leopards have spent this tournament showing that favourites in 2026 do not get to relax. The knockout stage runs through to 19 July, and England's first job is simply to make sure it does not end on day four for them.