England's FIFA World Cup 2026 journey continues with a narrow 2-1 win over DR Congo, thanks to a game-changing cameo by Declan Rice at right-back.

What happened?

The England boss, Thomas Tuchel, has issues to resolve and solutions to find ahead of Monday's tie with Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, with the right-back position being a major concern. England are through to the last 16 of the World Cup, but nobody will remember that they flirted with disaster in the round of 32 if they go on and lift the trophy.

Why it matters for England

The position has now been occupied by five players in four World Cup games, with Reece James and Jarell Quansah injured, and the others being makeshift options. Trent Alexander-Arnold's omission looms large over England's World Cup campaign, but Tuchel can only choose from the players he has selected.

What comes next?

On the evidence of his stint there against DR Congo, it might be Rice who gets the nod ahead of Djed Spence against Mexico. Rice helped tilt the game in England's favour after moving into the role following Spence's withdrawal for Eberechi Eze in the 70th minute. He made the driving run into the DR Congo box that led to the equalising goal and provided some much-needed thrust. | Date | Opponent | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-17 | Croatia | 4-2 win | England's recent form has been inconsistent, with a record of 2W-0D-2L in their last four games, but they are currently on a 2-game winning run. Rice's impact shows why Tuchel values versatility so highly, and it came after an awkward afternoon for Spence, who was dragged out of position for DR Congo's opening goal. Spence, in his defence, was playing at right-back having featured predominantly as a left-back across the last two seasons with his club. Rice handled his own adjustment much more smoothly, despite having only played at right-back on a handful of occasions for Arsenal. Currently, R. James is sidelined due to injury, adding to England's right-back woes. Next fixture: vs Spain (at home, 2026-09-26).