FIFA World Cup 2026: Desabre says DR Congo faces England in round 32 with nothing to lose

After exceeding expectations to reach the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sebastien Desabre says his players will not be the ones under pressure in their Round of 32 match against England despite taking on the country’s dreams.

DR Congo returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when it lost all three matches, and is now entering uncharted territory after the third-placed side advanced through the group stage.

Desabre’s team held Portugal to a draw, suffered a narrow defeat to Colombia before a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, and chased away the memories of their previous World Cup appearance.

“It was already an achievement and progress to return to the World Cup after a 52-year absence,” Desabre told reporters on Tuesday.

«Earning the first point in the first match, scoring the first goal, that was another step. Scoring three goals in a match and winning a match at the World Cup was an extra step. Qualifying for the round of 16 was another step. So yes, we don’t have much to lose tomorrow, but we also consider it a source of motivation because if we are here it is because we deserve it,» he added.

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All these moves have led DR Congo to Wednesday’s draw in Atlanta against one of the teams expected to play deep in the tournament.

“The pressure is obviously on the England team as they have to continue their path in line with their objectives,” the manager said.

«We will do everything we can to qualify, and that is what I have told the players, and the players are saying to themselves: this is a very good opportunity to create another exploit instead of simply coming here to discover the competition. The number of people for whom football is their life in our country and other African countries means that my players have a lot of hopes and dreams on their shoulders. I am sure these guys have won a lot of hearts through their motivation, their determination and their resilience despite the pressure,» he added.

In the round of 32, Paraguay has already shocked Germany with a penalty shootout victory, and Morocco defeated the Netherlands in similar fashion. Desabre was asked if his players had practiced spot kicks.

“We practice penalties because we are professional, and it is an opportunity to win the match with a penalty,” he replied.

«We have been working on that and we won on penalties against Nigeria (in qualifying). We also won in Egypt, not the last AFCON, but in the AFCON in Ivory Coast, and we have a lot of opportunities for penalties,» he said.

Published on July 1, 2026