Mbappe Sets World Cup Record, England Eye Tonight's Test
Kylian Mbappe's World Cup record run shows no sign of slowing down after last night's performance. The France captain scored twice as Les Bleus beat Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, extending his personal streak just hours before England step out tonight for their own first knockout test of the tournament.
Mbappe's Record Night Against Sweden
Mbappe opened the scoring after a clever pass from Michael Olise sliced through Sweden's defence, then added a second midway through the second half with a curling finish. Bradley Barcola scored in between, capping a dominant French performance that sent Graham Potter's Sweden crashing out of the tournament.
The result pushed Mbappe's tally to 18 goals in 18 World Cup appearances, just one behind Lionel Messi's record. It was his third multi-goal outing of this year's competition and his seventh in World Cup history, a new benchmark. He now also holds the record for the most goals scored in World Cup knockout matches outright.
Mbappe played down individual credit after the game, insisting the team's collective effort mattered more than personal milestones. Manager Didier Deschamps praised his captain and Olise, whose assist tally this tournament is the highest by any player at a men's World Cup since Germany's Thomas Hassler in 1994.
France now advances to the Round of 16, where they will meet Paraguay, the side that stunned Germany on penalties in the previous round. Deschamps' unbeaten side remains among the favourites to reach a third straight World Cup final.
England's Tonight Test in Atlanta
While France celebrated last night, attention turned to England, who take the field tonight against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta in their first knockout match. Head coach Thomas Tuchel addressed reporters hours before kickoff, having watched two heavyweights, Germany and the Netherlands, suffer shock exits in the Round of 32.
Rather than treat those results as a warning, Tuchel framed them as a useful reset for his squad's expectations, pointing to how tight the knockout matches had been and arguing that narrow margins are simply the nature of tournament football at this stage.
Tuchel's comments come after a group stage that saw England draw with Ghana and grind out a narrow win over Panama, performances that raised questions despite topping the group. England go in as heavy favourites, sitting fourth in the FIFA rankings against opponents in the mid-40s, but Tuchel cautioned that underdog status often works in an opponent's favour.
Injury concerns have crept into England's preparations too, with Reece James (hamstring) and Jarell Quansah (ankle) both out. Djed Spence is expected to fill in at right-back, another improvised defensive selection from Tuchel at this tournament.
England vs DR Congo: Predicted Lineups
With team news settling in the hours before kickoff, both managers appear to have clear ideas of how they want to line up in Atlanta.
England predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly; Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford; Harry Kane.
Rice returns to the base of midfield after being rested against Panama, partnering Anderson to control possession and break up Congolese counters. Bellingham operates in the number 10 role behind Kane, England's record World Cup scorer, while Saka and Rashford provide width against a side likely to defend deep.
DR Congo predicted XI (5-3-2): Timothy Mpasi-Nzau; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba, Steve Kapuadi, Arthur Masuaku; Samuel Moutoussamy, Noah Sadiki, Chancel Kayembe; Yoane Wissa, Cedric Bakambu.
Sebastien Desabre is expected to revert to the back-five system that served the Leopards well against Portugal, having briefly switched to a flat back four for their must-win finale against Uzbekistan. Wissa, a surprise package of the tournament despite a quiet club season at Newcastle, leads the line alongside the experienced Bakambu.
Head-to-Head: England vs DR Congo
Unlike France's storied World Cup history, tonight's fixture in Atlanta will be the first-ever competitive meeting between England and DR Congo at any level. There is no head-to-head record to draw on and no shared history for either set of fans to reference; this is uncharted territory for both nations.
England does have experience against African opposition at the World Cup, however. At Italia '90, the Three Lions needed a narrow 1-0 win over Egypt to progress from their group before beating Cameroon 3-2 in a dramatic quarter-final. Tonight marks only the second time England have faced two African nations at the same World Cup, following their earlier draw with Ghana.
For DR Congo, this is a landmark occasion regardless. The country's only previous World Cup appearance came in 1974 as Zaire, when the side was eliminated in the group stage without a win or a goal. Reaching the knockouts for the first time, after qualifying as the best third-placed team, drawing with Portugal and coming from behind to beat Uzbekistan, already marks the biggest achievement in the nation's football history.
What It Means Heading Into the Knockouts
The contrast between the two footballing nations on the same World Cup matchday was hard to miss. France, powered by Mbappe's record-breaking form, looks like a team hitting top gear at exactly the right time. England, by comparison, are being deliberately talked down by their own manager, a strategy aimed at keeping the squad grounded rather than complacent as the tournament's business end approaches.
With the Round of 16 draw now shaping up, all eyes will be on whether Mbappe can match or surpass Messi's scoring record, and whether Tuchel's calm, measured approach can steer England past the group-stage jitters and into deeper knockout football.
