England’s Path to World Cup Final: Who Will England Play in the Knockout Stage?

England is attempting to win their first World Cup title since 1966, and they’ve earned their way to the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. Manager Thomas Tuchel has made some bold decisions with his roster and starting XIs, but the team has the talent to be a dangerous side if it can put the pieces of the puzzle together.

After emerging as Group L winners over Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, the Three Lions have secured a matchup against DR Congo in the Round of 32. In addition to their impending match, who else could England face along their path to the World Cup Final as one of the favorites?

Below, we’ll dissect who England could play in each round of the 2026 World Cup, all the way to the World Cup Final, weaving in projections and payouts from PrizePicks Team Picks.

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Note: Within this article, we’ll use the WorldCup2026Predictions.app to show the most likely opponents for England in each round.

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Who Will England Play in the Round of 32?

Date, Kickoff Time: Wednesday, July 1, 12:00 p.m. ET

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium) in Atlanta, Georgia

Opponent: DR Congo

DR Congo finished third in Group K behind Colombia and Portugal, clinching their spot in the knockout stage with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan to conclude group play.

Among possible matchups in the Round of 32, DR Congo may be a favorable one for England, with the Three Lions returning a 1.23x payout to win on PrizePicks Team Picks. England also has the third-lowest payout (1.11x) to qualify for the Round of 16.

During the group stage, DR Congo was 37th in average possession (39.6%) and 36th in shots on target per match (2.3), per FotMob. While this seems like a match that England should win, they’ll need to be wary of a DR Congo side that is willing to sit back and defend often to create chances, evidenced by them having the fifth-fewest xG conceded (1.8).

Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.

Team Picks markets are settled after full-time (90 minutes + stoppage). Extra time and penalties are not included.

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World Cup Round of 16

Date, Kickoff Time: Sunday, July 5, at 8:00 p.m. ET

Location: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium) in Mexico City, Mexico

England to Qualify for World Cup Round of 16: Yes 1.11x | No 5.88x

Potential Opponent: Mexico (66%)

Barring an upset loss by Mexico and/or England, we may be poised to see El Tri squaring off against the Three Lions in the Round of 16. According to World Cup Predictions, Mexico has a 66% chance of being England’s opponent, with Ecuador being the only other possible foe at 34%.

Not only is Mexico in a position to continue playing in front of their energetic home fans at Estadio Azteca, but they were one of just two teams (Spain being the other) to concede 0 goals in the group stage. Over their first three games at the 2026 World Cup, Mexico has yet to allow more than 7 shots from open play in a match, via WhoScored.

Aside from England flashing inconsistent lulls throughout the tournament, they’d have to adjust to playing in a hostile environment at a higher elevation. Even if Ecuador upsets Mexico, the Round of 16 is where all of our experts have England bowing out of the 2026 World Cup.

World Cup Quarterfinals

Date, Kickoff Time: Saturday, July 11, at 5:00 p.m. ET

Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida

England to Qualify for World Cup Quarterfinals: Yes 1.63x | No 2.12x

Potential Opponent: Brazil (77%)

If England withstands the test of Mexico or Ecuador in the Round of 16 after beating DR Congo, World Cup Predictions indicates that Brazil has a 77% chance of being in the World Cup Quarterfinals. The other most likely opponents for England in this spot are Norway (17%) and the Ivory Coast (6%).

Brazil conjured up some magic to edge out Japan in the Round of 32, with LW Gabriel Martinelli delivering a 95th-minute goal to clinch a spot in the Round of 16. Ever since Brazil’s shaky 1-1 draw against Morocco to begin the tournament, they’ve looked like a much more cohesive unit under manager Carlos Ancelotti.

Across their last three games, Brazil has averaged 16 shots per match and 10.7 shots from open play per match.

On top of having ST Erling Haaland leading the attack, Norway has the most big chances created (14) among teams that have yet to play their Round of 32 match, so they’re far from a walk in the park.

The Ivory Coast also shouldn’t be overlooked after finishing second in Group E, which featured Germany, Ecuador, and Curaçao.

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World Cup Semifinals

Date, Kickoff Time: Wednesday, July 15, at 3:00 p.m. ET

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium) in Atlanta, Georgia

England to Qualify for World Cup Semifinals: Yes 2.56x | No 1.47x

Potential Opponent: Argentina (62%)

At the moment, England isn’t projected to be the most likely team to advance to the semis in this spot, according to World Cup Predictions. While Brazil is being given a 42% chance to face Argentina in this match, England has a 29% chance to advance this far.

On the other hand, Argentina has a 62% chance of reaching this point, with Colombia (24%), Switzerland (7%), and Australia (3%) being the other possible opponents.

Argentina has been flying high as the reigning World Cup champs, as ST Lionel Messi is scoring at a jaw-dropping rate. To pair with Messi’s special performances, Argentina is tied for the third-fewest goals conceded per match (0.3) entering the Round of 32.

There have been flashes of brilliance for Tuchel’s side, but do they have enough consistency and firepower to take down a team like Argentina? That remains to be seen.

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World Cup Final

Date, Kickoff Time: Sunday, July 19, at 3:00 p.m. ET

Location: MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey

England to Qualify for World Cup Final: Yes 4.16x | No 1.2x

England to Win World Cup: Yes 7.69x | No 1.06x

Potential Opponent: Spain (39%)

The most likely World Cup Final matchup right now is Spain facing Argentina, via World Cup Predictions. Behind Spain, France (30%), the Netherlands (7%), and Portugal (6%) are the other most likely teams to potentially advance to the Final from the left side of the bracket.

As for the other side, England carries the third-highest chances (13%) of reaching the Final, putting them behind Argentina (40%) and Brazil (23%). If the Three Lions were to get this far, they’d certainly be battle-tested ahead of a probable match against either Spain or France.

The depth, discipline, and star power of 19-year-old RW Lamine Yamal for Spain would be quite the challenge for England. Spain has yet to concede a goal in the tournament and hasn't needed Yamal to play more than 76 minutes in a match.

France is operating like a well-oiled machine to begin the 2026 World Cup, racking up 10 goals on the most shots on target per match (7.3). If the Three Lions want to put an end to their 60-year drought, they’ll need to get past an assortment of premier teams.

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Make Your England World Cup Predictions on PrizePicks

Despite being underwhelming at moments, England continues to carry lofty expectations entering the Round of 32. While England is a popular choice to win it all, their path to the World Cup Final could be more difficult than it looks.

You can make your World Cup predictions on how far England or other teams will advance in the knockout stage on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states!

Stay locked in on Playbook for daily World Cup 2026 predictions, picks, news, and analysis through the World Cup Final.