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Englandwill compete against DR Congo for a spot in the Round of 16 of the World Cup in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Thomas TuchelThey secured first place in Group L with a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday, but had to wait to find out their last-32 opponents.

They were aware they would encounter a team that came third in a different group, and if the Central African country had lost or drawn against Uzbekistan, England would have probably faced Senegal.

Nevertheless, following a second-half resurgence — featuring two goals from Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa — the team considered underdogs secured a 3-1 victory, finishing third in their group behind Colombia and Portugal.

The confrontation is expected to attract large audiences in the country on Wednesday, starting at 5pm.

England, ranked 4th in the FIFA world rankings, are 42 places above their opponents and are considered favorites – they have steered clear of a difficult challenge against Senegal, who will now face Belgium.

Papa Thiaw’s team suffered a 3-1 loss against England in a friendly match held in Nottingham last June. Later, Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace was one of the goal scorers – and he has already netted three goals at this World Cup.

Following their loss at the City Ground, England’s forward Harry Kane remarked: ‘We were punished. We faced a strong team.’

Senegal, referred to as the Lions of Teranga, also claimed the Africa Cup of Nations in January—only to have the title revoked after they left the field during a protest over a penalty decision in the final match against Morocco.

They have been disappointing in this tournament — losing 3-1 to France in their opening match after not making the most of a solid first-half performance, and then 3-2 against Norway. They managed to secure third place with a 5-0 victory over Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded expectations in the United States at their second World Cup, drawing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in their first game, then narrowly losing to Colombia.

In addition to Wissa, they also have other English-based stars such as Sunderland’s defender Arthur Masuaku and former Manchester United defenders Aaron Wan-Bissaka – currently with West Ham – and Axel Tuanzebe, who is now at Burnley.

Ex-Chelsea player Gael Kakuta is also in the team.

If England manages to overcome DR Congo, they will encounter the victors of the Mexico and Ecuador match in the round of 16.

Possible quarter-final opponents might include Brazil, set to face Japan in their Round of 32 game, or Norway led by Erling Haaland.

If the favorites keep advancing, England might encounter Argentina in the semi-finals, while France, a standout team in the tournament, could be their opponent in the final on July 19.

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