England vs DR Congo live updates: World Cup 2026 round of 32 game latest news and buildup
After coming off the bench in DR Congo’s opening two group games, Noah Sadiki was trusted from the start against Uzbekistan and played the full match as his side earned a hard-fought 3-1 victory to book their place in the World Cup knockouts.
The midfielder was a relative unknown when he joined newly-promoted Sunderland from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise last summer, but he has adapted impressively to the Premier League.
Phil Buckingham, as part of The Athletic’s World Cup Stars of Soccer series, said this of Sadiki:
✍️ “The 21-year-old brings energy and running to midfield. Sadiki is neither physically imposing nor an obvious attacking threat, but his ability to press and knit play has been a hallmark of his continued emergence. His work rate, too, is consistently flawless, covering enough ground for two.”
DR Congo’s head coach Sebastien Desabre backed up this praise, telling Africa Foot last year:
💬 “In two or three years, I think he will be one of the best players in his position in the Premier League.”
England’s likely midfield pairing of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will have their work cut out when trying to deal with Sadiki.