England’s route to World Cup final as last 32 opponents confirmed

England’s potential path through to the 2026 World Cup final has emerged after they secured their place as Group L winners.

Those goals shortly after the hour mark came as a huge relief for the travelling England fans, who had been watching another otherwise laboured display from their much-fancied team following the turgid midweek stalemate with Ghana in Boston that had served to dampen the early enthusiasm generated by a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas.

There are also lingering fears around England’s ability to break down teams who sit in a low block and efficiency at containing the speedy counter-attacks that follow, though in Bellingham and Kane – who has overtaken Gary Lineker as his country’s leading all-time World Cup goalscorer – they have two superstar talents capable of winning any game, while Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford also impressed out wide as Tuchel made five changes for the final group-stage outing.

England will now return to their Kansas City training base before quickly moving on to Atlanta, where they will face DR Congo at 5pm BST on Wednesday (July 1) in the newly-created round of 32 at this first expanded 48-team tournament.

It could have been Senegal or potentially even Algeria, but DR Congo’s 3-1 win over Uzbekistan later on Saturday clinched them third place behind Colombia and Portugal in Group K and teed up a first-ever showdown with England.

England will certainly not be taking the threat of DR Congo lightly, but will be relieved not to have finished as runners-up in Group L, as, thanks to their subsequent goalless draw with Colombia, that would have meant a last-32 meeting with old rivals Portugal in Toronto on Friday.

Instead, Roberto Martinez’s side will meet Group L runners-up Croatia – who beat Ghana 2-1 – in one of the pick of the early knockout ties.

If England get past DR Congo, then a last-16 fixture will await at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in a game that will take place at 1am BST in the UK on July 6.

That would be against either Mexico or Ecuador, who meet at the same venue on Tuesday (June 30) in the last 32.

Potentially facing the co-hosts – who finished top of Group A with three wins and no goals conceded – at their high-altitude fortress where they have only ever lost twice, and not since 2013, already has England fans talking in fearful tones.

But don’t count out Ecuador, whose crucial late win over Germany to seal third place in Group E and the passionate celebrations of head coach Sebastian Beccacece was one of the highlights of the World Cup so far.

Get through both the last 32 and last 16 and record five-time winners Brazil could then await England in the World Cup quarter-finals in Miami on July 11, though the Selecao first have to face Japan on Monday after topping Group C. If they can do that, either Erling Haaland’s Norway or Ivory Coast will be their tough next assignment.

Lionel Scaloni’s side meet surprise package Cape Verde in the last 32, a match they will be expected to win comfortably before battling either Australia or Egypt in the last 16.

They will be expected to get through either of those tests too, with one of Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia or Ghana then awaiting in the quarter-finals.

Les Bleus have Sweden in the last 32, with potentially Germany then to come in a massive Independence Day showdown in Philadelphia on July 4, providing Julian Nagelsmann’s side defeat Paraguay first.

Win that and France would be up against one of South Africa, Canada, Netherlands or Morocco in the quarter-finals, with Portugal, Spain, USA and Belgium among the list of possible semi-final opponents.