Congo stunned England with a 1-0 victory in the World Cup round of 32 in Atlanta. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Brian Cipenga scored the opening goal in the 34th minute, beating England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The goal gave Congo confidence and allowed them to put pressure on England.
England had several chances in the first half but were denied by Congo's defense and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who made several key saves.
In the second half, England pushed for an equalizer but Congo's defense held firm. Congo secured a historic victory and advanced to the round of 16.
This is Congo's biggest achievement in World Cup history. The team had never advanced past the group stage before. Congo will now face a strong opponent in the round of 16.
For England, the defeat was a major upset. The team was considered one of the tournament favorites. Manager Gareth Southgate said after the match that his team failed to capitalize on their opportunities.
The match was played at the stadium in Atlanta on July 1, 2026, in front of over 70,000 spectators.