DR Congo shocked England seven minutes into their World Cup Round of 32 meeting Wednesday in Atlanta, when Brian Cipenga buried a near-post finish that left Three Lions goalie Jordan Pickford grasping at nothing.
The goal exposed a defense Thomas Tuchel had already reshuffled out of necessity, and it left the Three Lions chasing a match they were expected to control from the opening whistle.
Chancel Mbemba started the move, moving the ball across England’s back four toward the far post. Cipenga arrived unmarked at the back post with time to control the ball before drilling a low shot past Pickford at the near post. He celebrated with an acrobatic flip as DR Congo’s traveling section erupted inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
England’s breakdown traced to a defensive lapse on the right flank, where Cipenga found the space to work. Tuchel had already been forced into changes at the back, with Djed Spence starting at right back after injuries to Reece James and Jarell Quansah wiped out his first two options. Noni Madueke got the nod on the right wing over a rested Bukayo Saka, one of several calls that will draw scrutiny if England can’t respond.
None of it was supposed to matter this early. England had cruised through the group stage without a loss, and a knockout draw against a nation appearing at its first World Cup in more than five decades looked like the kind of afternoon where Kane and Bellingham simply take over. Seven minutes changed that math, and it changed it against a defense already missing two of its first-choice options at right back.
Brian Cipenga’s Road to the World Cup Stage
GettyCongo DR’s forward #09 Brian Cipenga celebrates with teammates scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match football between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 1, 2026.
Cipenga’s goal was his first for DR Congo’s senior national team. He entered the match with seven caps and no goals, according to stats tracked by Opta Analyst covering his run since debuting in 2025 through World Cup qualifying and this summer’s tournament.
Born in Kinshasa 28 years ago, Cipenga built his game in Portugal’s lower divisions before moving to Spain, where he spent two seasons at CD Castellón. He piled up nine goals and 10 assists in 47 appearances there, production that got him signed to a three-year deal with UD Almería days before the World Cup kicked off. The Spanish second division club just watched its new winger become a household name in Kinshasa and beyond.
He had spent the tournament as a supporting piece, with Yoane Wissa drawing most of the attention as DR Congo’s primary scoring threat through the group stage. Cipenga’s dribbling flashed early against Uzbekistan, but Wednesday marked the first time he turned that promise into a goal that actually decided a World Cup match.
England Faces a Round of 32 Reckoning
England arrived in Atlanta unbeaten through the group stage, built around Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham and expected to dispatch a DR Congo side making its first World Cup appearance in decades. Cipenga’s strike flipped that script in an instant, and it forced Tuchel’s attackers into an early must-score posture against a team built to sit deep and counter.
The scene was captured immediately by broadcasters on-site, with FOX Sports posting the celebration to its account within moments of the ball hitting the net. The winner advances to face co-host Mexico in the next round, raising the stakes on every touch that follows Cipenga’s opener. For DR Congo, merely reaching this stage already qualified as history. Now they lead it.
Who is Brian Cipenga? DR Congo Star Strikes Early to Stun England in World Cup