England advances and may cross Brazil's path; see World Cup bracket

England's victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo defined yet another knockout match for the 2026 World Cup and opened up the possibility of a major duel against Brazil in the quarter-finals.

After winning 2-1, this Wednesday (1), in Atlanta, the English team secured a place in the round of 16 and will now face Mexico, who advanced after eliminating Ecuador on Tuesday.

If the English overcome the Mexicans, they could cross the path of the Brazilian team. For this to happen, Brazil will need to beat Norway next Sunday (5) and confirm their presence in the quarterfinals. The winner of this eventual clash between Brazilians and English will guarantee a place among the four best in the competition.

The World Cup schedule continues to be defined throughout this week. Also this Wednesday, two other places in the round of 16 will be decided with clashes between Belgium and Senegal, at 5pm, and the United States and Bosnia, at 9pm.

See the complete and updated bracket for the 2026 World Cup

Cup structure provided by Sofascore

England's comeback over DR Congo
England's classification came in dramatic fashion. The team went behind on the scoreboard against DR Congo after Cipenga scored before 10 minutes into the game. Well organized defensively, the African team resisted for much of the match and relied on an inspired performance from goalkeeper M'Pasi, who avoided a draw on several occasions.

The English reaction only happened in the final stage. Harry Kane took the lead, scored twice and led the 2-1 comeback, guaranteeing classification. In addition to deciding the match, the striker reached a historic milestone by reaching 13 goals in World Cups, surpassing Pelé on the list of top scorers in the tournament's history.

With the result, England remains alive in the title race and joins the side of the bracket that also includes Brazil, keeping open the possibility of one of the most anticipated clashes of this edition of the World Cup in the quarter-finals.

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Source: CNN