The knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup rolls on, and Wednesday will see three more teams advance and three more teams exit the tournament after the round of 32. In the opening game, contending England will hope to end the Cinderella run of the DR Congo when the teams face off in Atlanta.
The second game takes us to Vancouver, Canada, where Belgium and Senegal are both coming off five-goal blowout wins in their respective group stage finales.
Finally, co-hosts the United States will return to action at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and look for just its second-ever knockout win when it hosts a Bosnia and Herzegovina team that will be a challenge with its youthful roster.
Here is everything you need to know for Wednesday at the World Cup.
When: Wednesday, July 1, 12 p.m. ET
Where: Atlanta
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One
Contenders England take on one of the tournaments fairytale stories in the DR Congo.
England entered the World Cup as one of the teams with a realistic chance of winning the title. Thus far, it’s been decent but hasnt played like a superpower along the lines of France, Spain or Argentina. The Three Lions were at their best in the second half of their opening 4-2 win over Croatia. After that, it was pedestrian efforts in a 0-0 draw with Ghana followed by a 2-0 win over Panama where the English needed 62 minutes before getting on the board.
England has plenty of firepower offensively with one of the games best center forwards in Harry Kane, a deep selection of wing options that includes Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham in the middle.
The biggest concern for Englands starting lineup is at right back, as both Reece James and Jarell Quansah are sidelined due to injuries. That leaves Djed Spence likely to slide over the right side in the starting XI.
The question for head coach Thomas Tuchel is whether he can get his team playing with intensity from the opening whistle. That was not the case in the last two games, when England was also heavily favored.
DR Congo is enjoying a lot of support from neutral fans in the United States as the country participates in its first World Cup since 1974. The Leopards secured a surprising knockout berth as one of the best third-placed teams after holding Portugal to a draw and staging a thrilling 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan. The teams only defeat came in a 1-0 loss to Colombia.
Sébastien Desabres squad will be highly motivated for this game, as the team boasts significant Premier League experience. This includes Newcastle United attacker Yoane Wissa, who has been the teams star thus far at the World Cup with three goals in the group stage.
DR Congo is expected to bring a highly physical but disciplined approach to this game. The team will sit deep in a compact formation, most likely the 5-3-2 it used against Portugal, and look to break out quickly on counterattacks.
England is the heavy favorite, but games like this can be tricky as England is under enormous pressure to advance, while the DR Congo likely sees this game as a massive opportunity with nothing to lose.
Player To Watch
The Real Madrid playmaker was the Man of the Match in the 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday while playing in a deeper role. With Declan Rice expected to return to the starting XI, Bellingham’s role will shift to focus on breaking down DR Congos low block. He will be looking to find pockets of space to open the game up for Kane, or the winger on either side. With Kane likely to
