England vs DR Congo, Belgium vs Senegal, and USA vs Bosnia headline today's World Cup Round of 32 with previews and key stats.
England face DR Congo, Belgium take on Senegal, and the USA meet Bosnia and Herzegovina in today's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32. The Three Lions are favourites but face a physical test, while Belgium and Senegal clash in Seattle. The USA aims to use home advantage to advance.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stages continue today with three high-stakes Round of 32 matches as the tournament reaches its business end. England, Belgium, and the USA are all in action, each hoping to secure a place in the last 16 of the global showpiece.
The first game of the day sees England take on the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, kicking off at 18:00. The Three Lions topped Group L without losing a match, securing two wins and a draw. England don enter the knockout rounds as one of the favourites, but coach Thomas Tuchel's side know say dem need to improve their attacking display after a goalless draw against Ghana. DR Congo, however, are no pushovers. The Leopards surprised many by reaching the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams, showing resilience and physical strength throughout the group stage. The two teams are meeting for the first time at senior level, with England expected to control possession while keeping a close eye on in-form forward Yoane Wissa, who don score three of DR Congo's four goals so far. England captain Harry Kane, now the nation's all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 11 goals, will be looking to add to his tally.
Later in the evening, Belgium faces a tough test against Senegal at Lumen Field in Seattle at 22:00. The Red Devils finished top of Group G with a win and two draws, and they go into the match as slight favourites, especially after thrashing New Zealand 5-1 in their final group game. But Senegal, the African champions, are dangerous. The Teranga Lions finished third in Group I but showed their firepower with an 8-0 demolition of Iraq in their last group match, and they will look to exploit any weaknesses in Belgium's defence with their pace and power on the counter-attack. For Belgium, the experienced Kevin De Bruyne remains the key man to unlock the Senegalese defence, but dem go need to be careful because Senegal get pace wey fit cause serious problem.
The final match of the day takes place in the early hours of July 2nd when co-hosts the United States face Bosnia and Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium at 02:00. The USMNT, who finished top of Group D, have home advantage and a young, energetic squad. However, they will be wary of a Bosnia team that has shown fighting spirit and defensive discipline to reach the knockout stages. The two sides have met three times before, with the USA winning twice and drawing once. As e be now, the US go rely on captain Christian Pulisic to provide the inspiration and guide them into the quarter-finals. The winner of the Belgium-Senegal match will face the winner of the USA-Bosnia match in the Round of 16. With so much at stake, today's matches promise drama and high-intensity football as the journey to the World Cup trophy continues.
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