Spanish newspapers have expressed doubt about England's World Cup aspirations, following a narrow 2-1 victory against DR Congo that saw captain Harry Kane score twice in the final 15 minutes.

England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, were trailing in the seventh minute and struggled to equalize until Kane's header in the 75th minute. He then secured the win with another goal 11 minutes later, advancing England to the round of 16.

However, Spanish outlet Marca suggested the Three Lions "won't get very far" in the tournament. The publication noted that despite a change in management, England still appears to be "missing something to truly be a title contender." The assessment contrasted with expectations that Tuchel might transform the team, referencing past tournament struggles under Gareth Southgate.

England's recent major tournament history includes a loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final and a quarter-final exit at the last World Cup against France. They also reached the final of the previous European Championship, losing to Italy on penalties.

Should England advance, they are scheduled to face co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City in the round of 16. A potential quarter-final match could be against Brazil or Norway. Marca predicted Brazil to defeat Norway, stating that while Brazil is not performing at their peak, they "at least seems to have a much clearer game plan" than England. The newspaper acknowledged Kane as "the best number nine in the world" but questioned if this alone would be sufficient for England to progress through further rounds. Kane's brace against DR Congo brought his World Cup goal tally to 13, surpassing Pelé and placing him sixth on the all-time list.

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During the match, England was denied a penalty in the first half when Kane went down in the box after contact with DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. The referee indicated a dive, and VAR did not overturn the decision. Marca commented on this incident, suggesting it was an example of VAR being used "perfectly" by allowing the on-field referee's decision to stand unless there was a "blatant" error. The outlet praised this approach, contrasting it with what they perceived as the over-application of VAR in other situations.

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Spain, which finished the group stage with the same number of points as England, is preparing to play Austria in their first knockout match. A potential rematch between England and Spain could occur in the World Cup final.

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