Who will England face in the World Cup? The competitor in the 32nd round and her path to the final becomes clear

England qualified for the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup after topping Group L by defeating Panama 2-0 in a match held in New Jersey. After a frustrating first half, players Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane were able to score goals in the second half, bringing the English team to its second victory in the tournament.

With the win, England will travel to Atlanta to face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the next round, with their path to the final becoming clear after Saturday's matches concluded.

After topping Group L, England will face one of the top third-placed teams on Wednesday, July 1 at 5pm BST in Atlanta.

England's victory, along with Croatia's victory over Ghana, confirmed its leadership in Group L. After the Democratic Republic of the Congo succeeded in defeating Uzbekistan to occupy third place in Group K, England will meet the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its match in the round of 32, which is the first match between the two teams.

In the Round of 16, England could face the winner of Group A, be it Mexico or Ecuador, in an elevated atmosphere at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday evening 5 July at 1am BST. If they overcome this major challenge, England could face the winner of Group C, Brazil, in the quarter-finals on Saturday 11 July. If successful, Argentina, who started the tournament brightly with five goals from Lionel Messi, could be their likely opponent in the semi-finals on Wednesday, July 15. France is expected to be the likely opponent in the final in New Jersey on Sunday, July 19.

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