The Round of 32 continues to heat up this evening as England return to centre stage against D.R Congo. That is followed by fascinating clashes between Belgium and Senegal, and the co-hosts USA and Bosnia & Herzegovina. It is not a day to miss at the World Cup; follow all the action here!
England 2-1 D.R. Congo – FT
England will play Mexico in the Round of 16.
Belgium 3-2 Senegal – FT
USA 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina – FT
Belgium will play USA/Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 16.
04:17 CET – Check out Sunil Midda's match report of a fiery encounter that capped off one of the most thrilling days of this tournament:
Classy USA join their co-hosts in Round of 16 despite Balogun seeing red
Our daily highlights package comes to you from our editor Josh Donaldson in Seattle and will be available at 6am CET, so be sure to return in a couple of hours.
We learned of two new Round of 16 games today: England are off to Estadio Azteca to meet Mexico, and Josh will be observing the USA's Round of 16 game from the stands at Lumen Field in Seattle. Those two matches will be enormous.
Tomorrow we'll see five of the nine remaining European nations in action when Spain play Austria, Portugal face Croatia and Switzerland have an interesting meeting with Algeria and their former head coach Vladimir Petkovic. Join us at 8PM CET for live coverage.
04:07 CET – USA record a famous World Cup knockout victory at a very noisy San Francisco Bay Area Stadium! They join their co-hosts Canada and Mexico in the Round of 16.
BUT, they'll have to face Belgium without key striker Folarin Balogun.
The Americans controlled most of the match, even after Balogun's red card, and are thoroughly deserved victors. Bosnia & Herzegovina didn't have the tactical prowess or the execution to overcome this obstacle.
03:57 CET – There will be TEN minutes of additional time due to VAR reviews and injuries.
03:47 CET – USA LEAD 2-0! That foul from Radeljic turned out to be particularly costly as Malik Tillman, one of three men measuring out a run-up, caresses the ball towards the left post, helped on its way in by a lacklustre goalkeeping effort.
He did not read the trajectory of the ball going up over the wall and was late to react.
03:45 CET – The offside flag spoils the American party for the second time today as ten-man USA find themselves with a numerical advantage only for Pulisic to score from an offside position. He believed the ball touched a defender on the way through.
Bosnia manager Sergej Barbarez has been booked for aggressive dissent towards the referee. Things are getting a bit heated both on and off the pitch now as Stjepan Radeljic gets booked for holding the shirt of Sergino Dest.
03:40 CET – The US active supporters continue to make noise, but that red card has otherwise left the spectators nervously quiet.
03:35 CET – That Balogun red card is going to cause a lot of debate, starting in this newsroom with some more surprised than others about the verdict.
We've already seen two come-from-behind victories today and Bosnia will now be energised to make it a third. It'll be a tense hydration break with tactics now requiring a sudden tweak.
03:30 CET – Tarik Muharemovic and Folarin Balogun are both seeking medical treatment after coming together awkwardly. Balogun's right leg, in searching to come to ground, scrapes down Muharemovic's right leg like a rake and leaves the Bosnian in agony, with his ankle also twisting painfully. The challenge from Balogun looked more careless than malicious but the end result was nasty.
The referee, however, has deemed it a 'serious foul' after a VAR check and has sent off a stunned Folarin Balogun!
The stadium is almost in a shocked silence other than the odd jeer here and there. Balogun will have a serve a suspension if they advance to the Round of 16. USA move to a 4-4-1 formation with Pulisic the only man in attack.
03:20 CET – Bosnia & Herzegovina make a rare attacking foray, recording their first shot since the tenth minute. It amounts to nothing. They have again been a tad wasteful with the ball.
03:15 CET – Bosnia have had to make one in the 50th minute. 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, who today became the oldest outfield player ever in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, has picked up a muscular injury. Dual goalscorer Ermin Mahmic is his replacement, whilst Bosnia & Herzegovina make two other changes.
That could be the end of Edin Dzeko's international career after 151 appearances.
03:10 CET – No half-time substitutions for either side as the second half gets underway in San Fran.
02:57 CET – Here are the half-time stats:
02:55 CET – Balogun came so close to doubling the USA lead only for a shot to be scuffed off his shin. It was crossed out right to Dest who centred it towards the ground in front of Balogun.
The USA go into half-time in the lead and in need of a break after tensions threatened to boil over. Alajbegovic has picked up a potential head injury after accidentally falling into the left knee of Tyler Adams, who just came back on after being accidentally hit in the head by Edin Dzeko.
Adams did not want to stop play, which drew the ire of his Bosnian opponents.
02:50 CET – We're going to have a long stoppage time now that USA's Tyler Adams is down on his back getting medical treatment.
Spectators are chanting his name as he walks off the field for a mandatory one-minute period.
02:45 CET – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium erupts as Folarin Balogun bursts through a difficult Bosnian defence! He was the beneficiary of a fortunate touch, with Radeljic sliding out attempting to intercept a pass from Malik Tillman to Sergino Dest. It deflects to Balogun who shoots from between three defenders.
The shot took a touch off the goalkeeper's right boot on its way through, too – he was uncertain about which direction Balogun was going to shoot in.
02:35 CET – The momentum continues with USA, with Bosnia last attempting a shot at the ten-minute mark. It's now into the 37th minute of the match.
02:25 CET – The sides go to the first hydration break level and with Bosnia & Herzegovina recording the only shot on target so far.
02:20 CET – Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj had to spend about five minutes seeking medical treatment after a nasty collision with Antonee Robinson. He is continuing on, but with some swelling under his left eye.
02:05 CET – Neither team is showing any signs of early game nerves, having both taken corners in the opening five minutes.
01:55 CET – After another rousing rendition of the US national anthem from a packed stadium, we're almost ready to determine Belgium's opponent in the Round of 16!
The big pre-game news is that Christian Pulisic is fit to start for the USA. Bosnia sprung a bit of a surprise when they handed Armin Gigovic a start despite making only one appearance off the bench at the tournament.
01:30 CET – The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium is quickly filling up ahead of the inaugural competitive meeting between these teams.
01:05 CET – Belgium will now wind down and study up on the final match of Day 21 as it will feature their Round of 16 opponents.
Here are the starting lineups for the USA and for Bosnia & Herzegovina:
01:00 CET – Here is our freshly published match report of what can only be described as two and a half hours of madness:
Belgium overcome two-goal deficit to defeat Senegal in thrilling extra time
00:52 CET – Belgian hero Youri Tielemans was seen consoling Lamine Camara who is in tears and now in the arms of Moussa Niakhate. It was he who gave away the penalty that led to what is the latest goal in FIFA World Cup history.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "What have we witnessed here? They were dead and buried, but Belgium have come from the dead to beat Senegal 3-2 thanks to a late extra-time penalty by Youri Tielemans. This will be gut-wrenching for the Afrian side. In control for much of the encounter, they imploded late on, and tried everything to put Tielemans off, but it's the Red Devils who go into the next round. More unbelievable drama at the World Cup. Lamine Camara, who gave away the pivotal spot-kick, is in tears on the pitch, this will hurt for a long time to come."
00:45 CET – Pape Sarr goes for glory from outside the box in the 127th minute but the shot is well wide. Senegal continue to attack with every last second. They are attacking in the 129th minute of this never-ending contest!
They go once more in the 12th minute of this four minutes of stoppage time (yep…) and get a free kick on the edge of the box for a handball.
The set piece goes up and over and Belgium win a stunner! They were down 2-0 after 85 minutes!
00:41 CET – Pathe Ciss is down inside the box as the game ticks over into the 124th minute. Not sure if this is gamesmanship or a serious injury, to be entirely honest. The crowd is booing after seeing the replay on the big screen – he got a gentle elbow to the chest and reacted very slowly to it, dropping to the grass and spending a couple of minutes down there.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "This is turning farcical here. The referee awards a penalty after consulting with VAR, and as the players get ready, Pathe Ciss essentially lies down on the penalty spot after sauing he was elbowed. He is down for a long time… the mind games on this are off the charts."
Youri Tielemans steps up to take the penalty kick that will win the game for Belgium… TIELEMANS SCORES. He sends the goalkeeper the wrong way and the entire Belgian bench flood to the corner to celebrate with him.
We feel for our match report writer who was preparing for a Senegal win in regulation time and then a penalty shootout… hence why we weren't illing to rule out any twists!
00:34 CET – LUKEBAKIO HITS THE CROSSBAR IN THE 117th MINUTE! He was able to trap the ball at his feet inside the box after a failed clearance but his shot was only a fraction too high.
The referee has awarded a penalty kick for a foul committed by Lamine Camara in the build-up! This game could be decided by a single penalty kick instead of ten! It's a fair decision with Tielemans denied a chance to take a shot because of a tackle.
Josh Donaldson adds at Seattle Stadium: "Belgium nearly win it! Dodi Lukebakio, bright since coming on, cannons one off the bar from inside the box. We have just five minutes left in this encounter, and penalties feel a foregone conclusion after that effort from Belgium's number 14."
00:26 CET – Senegal came close to scoring when PSG's Ibrahim Mbaye poked a shot to the left of goal from inside the box.
Josh Donaldson adds: "Huge chance for Senegal as their wonderkid Ibrahim Mbaye is free inside the box to take a shot. It appears like he was unsure which foot to hit it with, electing to let it run across his body and strike it with his left, but he can't find the target."
00:20 CET – It's half-time of extra time and the teams combined for one off-target shot and 0.10 expected goals in that 15 minutes. We would be naive to rule anything out after the way the final ten minutes of regulation time panned out, but this seems to be heading only one way.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "This out-of-nowhere thriller continues to compound the imagination, as despite being the better team from minute one to the 86th, Senegal are now struggling to hang on. Belgium have swung the momentum completely, but it remains 2-2 at half-time in extra time. Leandro Trossard nearly gets on to the end of a cross, as the Red Devils look the more likelier side to win this clash. However, the looming shadow of penalties grows larger…"
00:10 CET – 11 of the last 12 World Cup knockout games to go to extra time were decided by penalties. Maybe 'golden goal' was not the problem after all…?
98 minutes played in Seattle and these sides are both approaching extra time cautiously.
00:00 CET – That's midnight, and the end of the 90 minutes, and it's 2-2 between Senegal and Belgium, which means we are heading to extra time in Seattle… It's hard to believe, but Belgium pulled the game back out of nowhere with two goals after the 85th minute to keep this alive.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Well, what a thriller we have now. They were on the canvas for 80 minutes, but Belgium are back on their feet. We are heading to extra time after a three-minute blitz from the Red Devils, and Senegal look stunned. They were in control for so long, but they were too passive, and it's bitten them back. Time for 30 more minutes – pick a winner now!"
23:51 CET – GOAL: BELGIUM HAVE DRAWN LEVEL! Where has this come from?! Belgium are back on level terms as Youri Tielemans acrobatically heads a cross in with just minutes to go.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Put those obituaries in the bin, Belgium are back in the game! Leandro Trossard loops a hopeful ball into the box, Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw makes a hash of it and captain Youri Tielemans takes advantage to head home. We're into stoppage time, and somehow, the Red Devils are still breathing."
23:48 CET – GOAL: BELGIUM HAVE ONE BACK! And who else but Romelu Lukaku? The big man has done well to fire home from a tight angle. But is it too little, too late for the Red Devils? They trail Senegal 2-1, with less than five minutes to go of regular time.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Belgium have life! Maybe it's too little too late, but Romelu Lukaku hasn't given up. He flicks in at the near post to halve the deficit. They have been out of this for much of the game; they still could be, but they have some hope…"
23:46 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "With 10 minutes to go, it does feel like the writing is on the wall for Belgium. Senegal are in control with time ticking away. Rudi Garcia has made all five of his changes in a desperate attempt to change the narrative, but it feels forlorn. Timothy Castagne heads just wide before Youri Tielemans rifles one just over the bar, but neither can get their side back in the contest."
23:36 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "At the second hydration break, and Belgium's frustrations are spilling over. Youri Tielemans is furious with Leandro Trossard, gesticulating for him to move into the box. The Arsenal winger isn't taking any of it from his captain, as they bump shoulders. It takes a teammate to separate them. Rudi Garcia has to get a handle on this quickly if they are to salvage anything from this game and keep their World Cup alive."
23:25 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Now 2-0 down and their tournament hanging by a thread, Belgium are using Romelu Lukaku as a target man, with the striker playing with his back to goal, trying to tee up his teammates. He's done it twice so far, but the shots haven't found the target."
23:19 CET – Shortly after going 2-0 down, Kevin De Bruyne has been taken off by Rudi Garcia. Could that be the last time we see him in a Belgium shirt? Quite possibly…
23:14 CET – GOAL: SENEGAL HAVE DOUBLED THEIR LEAD! This time it's Ismaila Sarr who finishes like a seasoned centre forward after collecting a long ball exquisitely on his chest to make it 2-0. That's his fourth goal of the tournament already.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Ismaila Sarr, what a finish! A long ball over the top finds the pacy forward, and he shrugs off the challenge of Arthur Theate, chesting down to fire it home. Is that the end of the Belgium challenge at this World Cup?"
23:08 CET – The second half is underway between Senegal and Belgium. As always, you can follow every kick with our live audio commentary via the link above!
Romelu Lukaku is now on for the Red Devils in place of Charles De Ketelaere to provide a focal point to their attack.
22:51 CET – That's half-time at the Seattle Stadium, and Senegal lead Belgium 1-0 thanks to Habib Diarra's goal, which was one of just five shots on target all half from either side. There hasn't been too much to write home about, but the Lions of Teranga are deserving of their narrow lead.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "It's Senegal who lead through Habib Diarra's tap-in, but Belgium have come back into it as the half wore on. Maxim De Cuyper tested the goalkeeper, whilst Jeremy Doku has got into the game more since moving to the right flank. At the moment, the absence of Romelu Lukaku is being felt most. The Red Devils are playing like he is on the pitch, finding crossing opportunities, but without him to cause chaos, it's easily defendable for Senegal."
22:34 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "The first proper pitch invasion of the tournament, I'd argue, has just happened, as three people take to the pitch. Two are captured quickly, whilst the third lasts a good amount of time before being taken down by the stewards. No indication of any protest, but one did film the event, so I'd imagine that will be on social media later."
22:25 CET – GOAL: SENEGAL OPEN THE SCORING! Habib Diarra reacts first to poke the ball home after a header comes back off the post – 1-0 to Senegal, and that might just break this cagey game open…
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "The deadlock is broken, and it goes to the side who have been on the front foot – Senegal. Ismaila Sarr hits the post, again, before Diarra is on hand to tuck home the rebound. It's been a quiet start, but the Lions of Terranga deserve the lead. In this tournament, no African side has been able to hold onto a lead in the knockouts; can they buck the trend?"
22:24 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: Just 22 minutes in and we already have a Mexican Wave – showing just how little action outside of Ismaila Sarr's chance we have had. Senegal's defensive shape is incredibly solid, but both sides are resisting a high press, instead opting for blocks to then spring counters. A bit of 'immovable object meets irresistible force' so far."
22:16 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Thibaut Courtois gets out of jail, as Ismaila Sarr nearly opens the scoring for Senegal. The Belgian goalkeeper does not deal with a cross, flapping the ball into the path of a stumbling Sarr. His first effort hits the post, his second, whilst prone, goes into the side netting. It feels very nervy here, a sense of occasion and a game that both sides feel they can win with no obvious favourite. That moment typified it."
22:08 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "A quiet start from Belgium and Senegal, with both managers setting up as they did during the group stage. Iliman Ndiaye has looked lively, beating a couple of players from the right, whilst Belgium are trying to hit Charles De Ketelaere aerially."
22:00 CET – We are underway at Seattle Stadium between Belgium and Senegal. As always, you can follow every kick with our live audio commentary via the link above!
21:50 CET – Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "The atmosphere is building nicely here inside the stadium, with the loudest cheer coming for Sadio Mane as the Senegal team is announced. The Al Nassr winger has just one goal contribution so far, but he is growing into the tournament with player ratings of 8.0 and 7.2 in his last two starts. He has 55 goals to his name for his national side – Belgium will have to keep tabs on him today."
Learn more about Flashscore's player ratings here!
21:35 CET – Our football features writer Jason Pettigrove has captured the main tactical dynamics of England's narrow win over D.R. Congo in his latest piece.
So, in case you missed any of the match, or just want to dive deeper into understanding how it was won or lost, take a look at that feature here!
20:35 CET – We're now heading up to Seattle for the next Round of 32 clash between Belgium and Senegal, which kicks off at 22:00 CET. The lineups are in, and you can see how the sides will shape up below.
Josh Donaldson at Seattle Stadium: "Are we sleeping on Belgium at this World Cup? Since Rudi Garcia's appointment in January 2025, he has played 17, lost just one – they are building something here, but today they face their toughest test. potentially of Garcia's reign. Senegal are one of Africa's best teams, but they will be heavily outnumbered in the stands with Seattle turning red and black for the European side.
Looking at the two sides, Belgium have lined up as expected, with Charles De Ketelaere still preferred up top to the recovering Romelu Lukaku. Pape Thiaw, who wanted his side to continue to rebel after their big win over Iraq, has opted for Ismaila Sarr as his number nine instead of Nicolas Jackson. The Crystal Palace forward is primarily used as a winger at club level, scored one and assisted another in the Iraq demolition. Can he do it again today?"
Ahead of the contest, why not take a look at our video preview too:
20:01 CET – England have done it again in a major tournament as they come from behind to produce a dramatic comeback in the dying embers and save their blushes. England looked down and out before Kane found the bottom corner with a bullet header in the 75th minute but that goal, at that time, was pivotal.
It felt like a weight had been lifted, and then it was a question of whether England could find a winner. The answer? Never doubt Harry Kane because he is becoming England's man, and when the Three Lions need a spark of inspiration, when they need someone to step up, he almost always does.
Heartbreak for D.R. Congo, who did just about everything to win the game and defended for their lives. In the end, they just couldn't do anything to stop the inevitable Kane and they can exit the tournament with their heads held high.
19:51 CET – Harry Kane has done it again, and that was one of the goals of his career! It was Anthony Gordon again who found a bit of space for the striker, but he still had loads to do, and my word did he do it and then some!
The England captain turned brilliantly on the half-turn before firing the ball with incredible venom and accuracy into the top corner.
Simply world-class from the best striker in the world.
19:39 CET – England are level at last, and who else but talisman and captain Harry Kane? The delivery from Anthony Gordon was quality, and Harry Kane was ready and waiting inside the box to dispatch a header that snuck past the D.R. Congo keeper.
That is a big, big goal for England at such a crucial time and with the clock ticking down.
19:26 CET – Big and bold changes from Thomas Tuchel as time starts to run out.
Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka are on to replace Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford.
19:15 CET – The second half is underway, and so far it is all England, but it remains 1-0 to D.R Congo.
Strap in, this is a huge half from both persuasions…
18:55 CET – It is half-time between England and D.R. Congo, and Thomas Tuchel's side remain 1-0 down and in deep trouble.
They did start coming into it more in the last 15 minutes of the half, but D.R Congo have also looked a threat on the counter, and Yoane Wissa was inches away from doubling their lead. Both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have come incredibly close to scoring for England, though as Tuchel's side push for a leveller.
18:30 CET – After an incredibly poor start from England in and out of possession, they look to finally be waking up, and they were almost level moments ago!
Declan Rice whipped in a brilliant cross from the edge of the box and found Jude Bellingham in the box, but the Real Madrid midfielder's header was a good height for the keeper to tip over the bar.
18:08 CET – DR Congo have taken a shock early lead against England, and it came out of nowhere! England were so open at the back and Congo winger Brian Cipenga had all the space in the world to control the ball and score. But he still had a lot to do and he did it with aplomb by finding the bottom corner emphatically.
1-0 and England have been stunned…
17:52 CET – Just under 10 minutes until kick-off in Atalanta as the players walk out onto the pitch! Bring it on…
16:50 CET – Team news is in for the first game of the day, and the big call from Thomas Tuchel is to bring in Djed Spence at right-back in the absence of Reece James and Jarell Quansah.
The one surprise is that Noni Madueke starts over Bukayo Saka after the Arsenal winger had a difficult game against Panama and still doesn't look fully fit. And finally, Declan Rice returns to midfield after his suspension in England's final group game.
14:05 CET – With just a few hours before the England vs D.R Congo match, why not check out a couple of features on England full-back Djed Spence (who is likely to start this evening) and Congo star striker Yoane Wissa:
Why Yoane Wissa in D.R. Congo's best weapon against England in last-32 showdown
Djed Spnece: The unexpected rise of a left-back who has found his feet at last
13:00 CET – Good afternoon! The last-32 continues this Wednesday with three matches and plenty of intrigue in each game.
First up, England will look to find their feet as an attacking side again after struggling to break down the low blocks of Ghana and Panama following their impressive dismantling of Croatia.
However, they will be up against a D.R. Congo side that have made a name for themselves in this World Cup for their quality on the counter-attack and organisation out of possession and in a low block set-up.
Therefore, it goes without saying that Thomas Tuchel's side will have to bring more creativity if they want to produce a statement performance in a similar vein to France last night.
As always, make sure you check out our day 20 highlights here and relive yesterday's live action here.
The 2026 World Cup is taking place from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament features 48 national teams and is played at 16 modern stadiums.
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