2026 World Cup: DR Congo is not afraid of England

For the first time in its history, the DRC will play a knockout match in the World Cup. The Leopards face the Three Lions of England this afternoon (4pm GMT) in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. This is the first meeting between the two countries; more importantly, it's the first time the DRC faces a country from the world's Top 5. Far from being intimidated, the Leopards believe in their chances and do not fear England.

“It’s a tough match ahead of us but not insurmountable. We showed against teams that were supposedly better than us that we could hold our own. We’re going to give all of our energy and strength to go for the win. We respect England, which is made up of good players, but we believe in our qualities because in a knockout match, anything can happen,” declared coach Sébastien Desabre.

Enjoying the moment

After pulling off the feat of qualifying for the second round of the World Cup, the Leopards are now playing without pressure and want to truly enjoy themselves against England. The Leopards’ third-choice goalkeeper, Timothy Fayulu, will fulfill a childhood dream tonight by playing against England:

“I have supported English clubs since I was little, so this is a dream come true for me. That said, we are not afraid of the English, they each have two legs like us, and everything will be decided on the pitch. We will play to our strengths and enjoy ourselves,” he said.

All the other DRC players display the same determination, especially after holding Portugal to a draw on the first day of the group stage.

Tuchel respects the DRC

The Congolese have built a reputation in this World Cup after a group stage in which they showed many positives. From defensive solidity to an attacking effectiveness that is starting to return, the Congolese team can trouble any opponent, as recognized by the Three Lions coach, Thomas Tuchel.

“We are going to face a very compact and physical DRC team that often plays in a 5-3-2 with impressive defensive discipline and is dangerous on the counter-attack. They don’t concede many goals. We’ll have to do everything we know how to do, but even better, to get past this team. The DRC can make life hard for any team as they did against Portugal and Colombia,” he said.

No injuries have been reported in the DRC squad, so they will have all their players to try to continue making history in the World Cup.