England's World Cup last-32 opponent has been confirmed as DR Congo after an overnight twist in the draw. The Three Lions, who topped Group L with seven points from two wins and a draw, will now face the African side in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday, July 1, with a 5pm BST kick-off.
How DR Congo Secured Their Spot
DR Congo pulled off a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in the early hours of Sunday morning, with Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa scoring twice. This result changed England's likely opponent from Senegal to DR Congo. The Congolese side finished second in their group behind Brazil.
Full Last-32 Draw
The complete draw for the knockout stage is as follows:
- South Africa vs Canada
- Germany vs Paraguay
- Netherlands vs Morocco
- Brazil vs Japan
- France vs Sweden
- Ivory Coast vs Norway
- Mexico vs Ecuador
- England vs DR Congo
- USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Belgium vs Senegal
- Portugal vs Croatia
- Spain vs Austria
- Switzerland vs Algeria
- Argentina vs Cape Verde
- Colombia vs Ghana
- Australia vs Egypt
Scotland Manager Quits After Group Exit
In other World Cup news, Steve Clarke has resigned as Scotland manager following the team's group-stage elimination. Scotland, who qualified for their first World Cup since 1998, failed to advance from a group containing Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti. Their fate was sealed after Croatia's win over Ghana on Saturday.
Clarke, who had signed a new four-year contract just a month ago, said in a statement: "The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now. They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honour to be called their gaffer. Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor."
Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell added: "While we are all disappointed to have exited the World Cup at the group stage, we must not lose sight of the undeniable progress made during Steve's seven years in charge. From starting as a pot four team in 2019 to topping our World Cup qualifying group, he has more than delivered on the remit to take Scotland back to a major tournament. We thank Steve for his record-breaking contribution."
