England is set to face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 32 of the World Cup in Atlanta on Wednesday. The English team secured the top spot in Group L with a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday, but their opponent was not confirmed until later.
England knew they would play a team that finished third in another group. Had DR Congo lost to or drawn with Uzbekistan, England would have likely faced Senegal. However, DR Congo secured a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, with two goals from Yoane Wissa, to finish third in Group K behind Colombia and Portugal.
The match, scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m., is expected to draw significant viewership in England. England, ranked fourth in the FIFA world rankings, enters the match as the favorite. They avoided a potentially challenging match against Senegal, who will now play Belgium.
DR Congo previously defeated England 3-1 in a friendly match in Nottingham last June. Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace, who scored in that friendly and has netted three goals in the current tournament, is a notable player for DR Congo. Following that defeat, England forward Harry Kane commented that they were "punished" by a good side.
Senegal, the Lions of Teranga, won the Africa Cup of Nations in January but were later stripped of the title. They have had a less dominant performance in the World Cup, with losses to France and Norway before securing third place with a 5-0 win over Iraq.
DR Congo has exceeded expectations in their second World Cup appearance, holding Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal to a draw in their opening match and narrowly losing to Colombia. Beyond Wissa, their squad includes English-based players such as Sunderland defender Arthur Masuaku and former Manchester United defenders Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham) and Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley). Gael Kakuta, formerly of Chelsea, is also part of the DR Congo team.
Should England advance past DR Congo, their next opponents in the Round of 16 will be the winner of the match between Mexico and Ecuador. Potential quarter-final opponents for England could include Brazil or Norway, while a semi-final match against Argentina and a potential final against France are also possibilities later in the tournament.