England v DR Congo: World Cup Prediction, Odds and Best Bets

Last Updated 5 hours ago

🕒 Kick-off: Wednesday 1 July 2026, 5pm BST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. Odds correct at time of writing. Betting markets move quickly, so check with your bookmaker for current prices.

England begin their knockout campaign against DR Congo in the round of 32 in Atlanta, with a clean-sheet win leading the betting at 3/4, writes Dave James.

Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the last 32 as winners of Group L, while DR Congo arrive in territory the nation has never reached before. William Hill make England to win to nil the headline call, with a 2-0 scoreline priced at 4/1.

England chasing another clean sheet

England topped their group on seven points, opening with a 4-2 win over Croatia in which Harry Kane scored twice, following up with a goalless draw against Ghana, and closing out the stage with a 2-0 victory over Panama. Kane’s header in that final game took him to 11 World Cup goals, a record for an England player at the finals.

Defensive control has been the foundation of the campaign. Tuchel is unbeaten in his opening 11 competitive matches in charge, and England ranked third for average possession in the group stage at 65.3%, against DR Congo’s 38.5%. William Hill point to a run of 14 clean sheets in the team’s last 15 wins as the reason a shut-out is so short in the market.

This is the first time England have faced elimination at the tournament, and the knockout draw carries an added edge after Germany and the Netherlands both went out on penalties in the same round.

DR Congo in uncharted territory

The Leopards are playing in a World Cup knockout match for the first time in their history, and competing at the finals for only the second time, having last appeared in 1974 as Zaire. Reaching the last 32 already marks the country’s best run at the tournament.

Sébastien Desabre’s side finished third in Group K, holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw, losing 1-0 to Colombia, and then recovering from a goal down to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and seal their place. Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa has carried the threat, scoring three of the team’s four group-stage goals, and the counterattacking danger that troubled Portugal will give England something to think about.

The two nations have never met before, so there is no head-to-head record to lean on. The numbers behind both teams point towards a cagey afternoon, with seven of England’s last nine matches and 13 of DR Congo’s last 16 producing fewer than three goals.

England v DR Congo odds

Market	Odds
England to win to nil	3/4
England 2-0 (correct score)	4/1
DR Congo to win in 90 minutes	10/1

Odds supplied by William Hill. A clean-sheet win heads the card, while anyone chasing a seismic shock can find DR Congo at 10/1 to knock England out inside the 90 minutes.

Bet builder angles

Selection	Pick	Reasoning
Player to score	Harry Kane	Three goals in his last three England appearances
Total goals	Under 2.5	Seven of England’s last nine games under three goals
Total corners	Over 9.5	Ten or more corners in each of England’s last six competitive games

William Hill price the three selections combined at 15/2 in a single bet builder.

England v DR Congo prediction

DR Congo have earned respect with their group-stage displays and carry a real threat through Wissa, so a runaway scoreline looks unlikely. England, though, have built their tournament on defensive control, and against a side that sits deep and counters, a measured win without conceding holds plenty of appeal at 3/4. A 2-0 result in England’s favour reads as the most likely outcome.

For more market-led coverage, see the latest football betting odds, including the run of international tournament form from Euro 2025.