Congo DR 3-1 Uzbekistan result, stats and report

England came from behind to beat Congo DR in their World Cup 2026 last-16 tie, but the manner of the victory tells you more than the scoreline. Sophie Hargreaves breaks down the structure that turned the game.

Congo DR ground out a 2-1 victory over a Uzbekistan side that had conceded eight goals in their previous two group games, moving off the bottom of their group and into contention for progression. The result was largely what the pre-match data anticipated, though Uzbekistan's consolation goal complicated what the model expected to be a tighter, lower-scoring affair.

Portugal dismantled Uzbekistan 5-0 to advance in the World Cup 2026 group stage, delivering the kind of ruthless, no-nonsense performance that separates serious contenders from the rest.

Colombia did what the market expected and what the context demanded, beating Uzbekistan 1-0 in their World Cup 2026 opener. But here is what nobody is asking: what does a clean sheet and a one-goal margin actually tell us about where this Colombia side is heading?

The question worth asking is not why Congo DR scored, but why Portugal's structure made it so straightforward for them to do so.

Congo DR sit bottom of their group with just one point from two games. Uzbekistan arrive with zero points and eight goals conceded. Someone's World Cup dream ends on Saturday night. Jay Thompson breaks it down.