England secured first place in Group L, though their performances raised questions. The Three Lions began with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, then were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana, despite 78,9% possession, before a narrow win against Panama in the final group match.

Despite not reaching peak form, England remains unbeaten in 11 official matches under coach Thomas Tuchel, with 10 wins and one draw. Only Ron Greenwood (16 matches, between 1977 and 1980) and Roy Hodgson (14 matches, between 2012 and 2013) have had longer unbeaten starts as England coaches.

Harry Kane (left) celebrates a goal with Jude Bellingham during England's 2-0 victory over Panama in the final match of Group L at the World Cup 2026, held at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, on 27/6/2026. Photo: *AP*.

Meanwhile, DR Congo surprised many by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. The African representative seemed destined for elimination when Uzbekistan led for most of their final Group K match. However, a brace from Yoane Wissa and a goal from Fiston Mayele secured a 3-1 comeback victory for DR Congo, allowing them to advance.

Wissa leads DR Congo's attack, scoring three of the team's four goals in the tournament. He averages one goal every 90 minutes at the World Cup, a stark contrast to his club performance for Newcastle in the 2025-2026 season, where he scored at a rate of one goal every 301 minutes.

Coach Sebastien Desabre will consider whether to continue using veteran forward Cedric Bakambu (from Real Betis) or give a starting spot to Fiston Mayele, who scored after coming off the bench in the win against Uzbekistan.

Hong Duy