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England Through to World Cup Last 16 After Dramatic Win
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BBC News4d agoSports2 min read

England Through to World Cup Last 16 After Dramatic Win

Quick Look

  • England advanced to the World Cup last 16 after captain Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to secure a 2-1 victory over DR Congo.
  • They now face a challenging match against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

England advanced to the last 16 of the World Cup after a comeback win against DR Congo. Their next opponent is Mexico, a strong team with an excellent home record.

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England are through to the last 16 of the World Cup after overcoming a scare to beat DR Congo in their first knockout fixture.

The Three Lions were rescued by their captain Harry Kane, who scored twice in the last 15 minutes to secure a 2-1 win after Thomas Tuchel's side had gone a goal down.

It means England are one step closer to reaching their third major tournament final of the decade.

Monday, 6 July - 01:00 BST (live on BBC One and iPlayer, radio and online)

England face a tough test in the last 16 as they have the daunting task of going to Mexico to play the tournament co-hosts at the Azteca Stadium.

Mexico's competitive record at the iconic venue is 70 wins from 89 games, with 17 draws and only two defeats. They are also unbeaten in 10 World Cup games there.

They have been in excellent form at this World Cup, too, with the tournament co-hosts having won all four games, scored eight goals and conceded none.

Mexico are ranked ninth in the world and have not lost a competitive fixture since a 2-0 defeat by Honduras in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final in November 2024 - a run of 13 unbeaten matches.

They produced a high-energy and intense first half against Ecuador in their last-32 match, establishing a two-goal lead after just half an hour against a side that had not conceded more than one goal in any match in more than two years.

The Azteca sits more than 7,000 feet above sea level, with that kind of altitude potentially causing shortness of breath, increased heart rate and fatigue for players who are not used to it.

Saturday, 11 July - 22:00 BST

Five-time winners Brazil are in England's section of the draw and are potential quarter-final opponents.

Vinicius Jr and Co topped Group C - knocking out Scotland in the process - but were unconvincing on the one occasion they were truly tested, drawing 1-1 with Morocco in their opening fixture.

They needed an injury-time winner from Gabriel Martinelli to beat Japan 2-1 in the last 32, having earlier fallen behind.

And Norway, who finished second behind France in Group I, have impressed in their first World Cup appearance since 1998.

With Manchester City's Erling Haaland up front, they would pose a significant threat.

He scored the late winner as Norway overcame Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday in Dallas, taking him to five goals in three games in his first World Cup and 60 from 53 appearances for his country overall.

If England reach this stage, they will be playing in Miami.

Wednesday, 15 July - 20:00 BST

We're getting a fair bit ahead now, but if England were to make it this far, they could face the defending champions.

Perhaps the favourites to reach this stage would be Argentina, who won all three of their group games as Lionel Messi continued to deliver on the biggest stage of all in the month he turned 39, scoring five goals so far.

Their first knockout tie is against surprise package Cape Verde, before a last-16 match against the winner of Australia and Egypt.

Also in this section of the draw are Colombia, who would face Argentina in the quarter-final if both nations win their first two knockout fixtures. They topped their group, ahead of Portugal, having won two of their three matches.

Other perhaps less likely potential opponents in the final four include Switzerland, Algeria and Ghana, who are all in the same side of the draw as England.

Reaching the semi-final would mean a return for England to Atlanta, where they beat DR Congo in their last-32 match.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • England to face Mexico in the last 16.

    Very likely · Within days

  • England could face Brazil or Argentina in quarter-finals/semi-finals.

    Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

  • Can England overcome the altitude in Mexico City?
  • Will Brazil or Argentina pose a significant threat in later rounds?

Related Topics

This article was originally published by BBC News.

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