England take on DR Congo in the last 32 of the World Cup 2026, with another upset in a tournament of upsets possible. Thomas Tuchel won’t take the Leopards lightly at Atlanta Stadium.
The Three Lions topped Group L with two wins and a draw. After beating Croatia 4-2, they looked out of sorts against Ghana’s low block but they put some concerns to bed against Panama, with both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham getting on the scoresheet. Bellingham, in particular, was superb and Tuchel must find a way to get the ball to his creative linchpin as early, and in as much space, as possible against another team that will defend deep.
DR Congo shocked everyone when they drew 1-1 with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to prove that their first World Cup appearance after a 52-year absence wasn’t just to make up the numbers. After a narrow 1-0 defeat by Colombia, the Leopards comfortably beat debutants Uzbekistan 3-1, thanks to Yoane Wissa’s second-half brace, to reach their first-ever World Cup knockout stage as the highest-ranked third-placed nation.
Only Ghana averaged less group-stage possession than DR Congo, so England must solve the puzzle against arguably their biggest weakness – breaking down a rigid defense.
So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch England vs DR Congo for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
England vs DR Congo: Team News
England XI: Pickford; D. Spence, Konsa, Guéhi, N. O’Reilly; E. Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
DR Congo XI: L. Mpasi; A. Masuaku, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Wan-Bissaka; N. Sadiki, Moutoussamy, N. Mukau; Cipenga, Wissa, Mbuku.
How to watch England vs DR Congo for free
England vs DR Congo is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.
Abroad? Can’t access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN – more on that below.
Use a VPN to watch England vs DR Congo live streams
It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual England vs DR Congo stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.
Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.
We recommend Norton VPN. Here’s why:
How to watch England vs DR Congo in the US
US viewers can watch England vs DR Congo on Fox and Telemundo (Spanish comms).
You can watch every World Cup game on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo, which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.
Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch England vs DR Congo on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is available via Peacock as well.
Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).
How to watch England vs DR Congo in the UK
UK customers are in luck as they can stream England vs DR Congo for free on BBC iPlayer. Live coverage is also available on the BBC One TV channel.
You require a TV Licence and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).
Norton VPN can unlock your stream if you’re abroad today.
How to watch England vs DR Congo in Australia
England vs DR Congo will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.
The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.
Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.
How to watch England vs DR Congo in Canada
In Canada, TSN and free-to-air channel CTV will be broadcasting England vs DR Congo.
You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.
CTV will require your TV provider login details, but is also available via pay-TV streaming platform Crave if you want an alternative.
Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you’re traveling away from home to unlock your stream.
England vs DR Congo: Match Information
What time does England vs DR Congo start?
England vs DR Congo kicks-off at 5pm BST / 12pm ET on Wednesday, July 1. That’s 2am AEST on Thursday, July 2 in Australia.
What are the squads for England vs DR Congo?
England
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
DR Congo
Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)
Defenders: Dylan Batubinsika (Larisa), Gedoon Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Lodz), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Racing Lens), Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor), Gael Kakuta (Larisa), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock)
Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)
|
Stage |
England |
DR Congo |
|---|---|---|
|
Group stage |
Group L: 1st, 7 points |
Group K: 3rd, 4 points |
Can I watch England vs DR Congo on my mobile?
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone’s browser.
You can also stay up-to-date with all of the key World Cup moments on the official social media channels on X/Twitter (@FIFAWorldCup), Instagram (@FIFAWorldCup), TikTok (@FIFAWorldCup) and YouTube (@FIFA).
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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