Dugout Discussion
1 July 2026 215 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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England and DR Congo will tussle for the right to face Mexico in the Round of 16 in Atlanta this afternoon.

Kick-off is at 17:00 BST.

The Three Lions are the strong bookies’ favourites to prosper in this tie – but then again, Germany had similar match odds ahead of their clash with Paraguay…

TEAM NEWS

It’s pretty much as expected from Thomas Tuchel, who makes three alterations from the victory over Panama.

One is an enforced change at right-back as Djed Spence ($4.5m) comes in for the injured Jarell Quansah ($4.4m). Reece James ($5.2m) is still unable to feature, too.

Declan Rice ($7.0m), who wasn’t risked in England’s final group game, returns at Morgan Rogers‘ ($7.2m) expense.

And the careful management of Bukayo Saka ($9.5m) continues as Noni Madueke ($6.1m) replaces his Arsenal teammate on the right flank.

As for DR Congo, head coach Sebastien Desabre has made one change to the side that started against Uzbekistan.

Ngal’ayel Mukau ($4.9m) comes in for Cedric Bakambu ($6.5m).

Virtually all of the Fantasy interest is with England, with 15 of Tuchel’s squad boasting higher ownerships than DR Congo’s most-selected player!

Here are the players owned by more than 1% of managers in the official FIFA game:

LINE-UPS

England XI: Pickford, Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly, Rice, Anderson, Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane.

Subs: Dean Henderson, Trafford, Stones, Saka, Chalobah, Jordan Henderson, Burn, Mainoo, Rogers, Gordon, Watkins, Eze, Toney, James, Quansah.

DR Congo XI: Mpasi, Masuaku, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Wan-Bissaka, Sadiki, Moutoussamy, Mukau, Cipenga, Wissa, Mbuku.

Subs: Fayulu, Epolo, Kapuadi, Batubinsika, Bongonda, Kakuta, Joris Kayembe, Elia, Tshibola, Bakambu, Pickel, Mayele, Banza, Kalulu, Edo Kayembe.


215 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Travel Notes
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Kane to equal Pele's goals tally?

  2. Feanor
    • 17 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    If I told you a year ago England would be starting Spence and Madueke in a knockout game at the World Cup you'd say I was nuts.

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Palmer, Foden, TAA, Hall & possibly Shaw & Maguire on the beach wondering where it all went Pete Tong…

  3. THE Wild Rover
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Oops

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      England decided to play without any RB, due to all the injuries…

  4. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Lol 1-0 DRC

  5. Travel Notes
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Early goal for DR Congo.

    1. Travel Notes
      • 4 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Glad I had no faith in Pickford.

  6. Bobby Digital
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Bingo bango Congo

  7. Football is home
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming... England is coming home

  8. THE Wild Rover
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    So much for how defensive DRC were going to be 🙄

    1. THE Wild Rover
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      They might be now..

    2. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Watch now 80mins bus parking high intensity training…

  9. puma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    LOL

  10. Hughes Your Daddy
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Weak from Pickford there

    1. THE Wild Rover
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Spence covering for absent CB’s left Cipenga open.

  11. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    DR Congo 1-0

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Cipenga goal
      Mbemba assist

  12. Nightcrawler
    • 7 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    That shot doesn't take place with saka on the right wing instead of madueme

    Poor from pickford too

  13. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Didnt want to play Mexico in the Azteca Stadium anyway

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      True - never lost a WC game there and only two defeats in something like 80 games - place is a Mexican fortress…

  14. Feanor
    • 17 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    They already gave Tuchel two more years?

    1. THE Wild Rover
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      He’ll walk if we go out

  15. Christina.
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    It's cumming home

    1. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Rice coming home

  16. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Fcking lol

  17. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Anyone know specifically what Rice & Bellingham were being so vocal about after the goal?

  18. PartyTime
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Hahahahahhaha LMAO England choking as expected and we LOVE this see it!

    1. THE Wild Rover
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Gfy

      1. PartyTime
        • 5 Years
        1 month, 23 days ago

        Congolese boys too thick for you?

  19. PartyTime
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Never mind the Congolese fans. Show us the English fans!!

  20. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Under this manager, DRC have only conceded more than one goal in 52 games, yikes…

    1. The Florentine assassin
      • 3 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Yep that stat does not look to good for England. I did see that goal coming a mile off from that attack. However on the replays it was catastrophically bad from Pickford.

  21. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Bellingham YC, he getting sent off in this one…

    1. Hughes Your Daddy
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Don' worry, we have the creativity of Henderson or Mainoo to bring on.

  22. SM001
    • 10 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    DR Congo: “These are sh*t”

  23. Mozumbus
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    The exact reason I stay clear of England players in world cup fantasy

  24. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    England player probably thought that they can just "show up" here. Also doesn't help that Tuchel seem to not now how to set them up.. they've been bad throughout the tournament imo.

  25. The Mandalorian
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Trafford is better keeper than Pickford.

    Better showstopper
    Better distribution
    Better at corners

    Pep trusted to play him in two Wembley finals and he was excellent.

    He plays like an extra defender which gives better control under a high press.

    1. The Mandalorian
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      *shotstopper

    2. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      But Pickford thumps his chest a lot, a useful GK skill…

      1. The Mandalorian
        • 14 Years
        1 month, 23 days ago

        This is true

        1. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          1 month, 23 days ago

          Pickford is England's number one complainer

  26. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Some save Mpesi…

  27. FOREST FOREVER 2
    • 1 Year
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Even if eng wins this one, their weaknessin the RB positin would be cruelly exploited by other teams. Imagine having a go at Spence.

    1. Travel Notes
      • 4 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      Cue Mexico in the Azteca. Early doors for England.

  28. Pep Roulette
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    England are never winning anything

    1. JBG
      • 8 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      They should bring in R.Martinez after Tuchel, if they want to continue down this route of nothingness with great players.

    2. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 23 days ago

      This. Football was crap in 1966

  29. EmreCan Hustle
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    Two fantastic blocks from DR Congo

  30. The Mandalorian
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 23 days ago

    We thought Tuchel was going to play a defensive transition system like at Chelsea.

    Instead England are playing high up the pitch like Man City and don't have the players to create chances. Trent perfect creator, sat at home.

    Southgate had the right idea but lacked the ability to coach the transistions against top teams. Tuchel was supposed to fix this.