England’s Matchday 1 exuberance made way for familiar functionality by the end of the group stage, but the Three Lions nonetheless achieved their first major objective at the 2026 World Cup.
By winning Group L, Thomas Tuchel’s side has been rewarded with a matchup against one of the remaining third-place group stage finishers. DR Congo, though, represents potentially tricky resistance, with Portugal already coming unstuck against the dogged Leopards.