World Cup 2026: England defeats DR Congo and advances to the quarter-finals

A peak audience of 16.3 million people watched England's dramatic victory over DR Congo in the last 16 of the World Cup on Wednesday. The 5pm BST kick-off was watched by an average of 14 million viewers on BBC television and was the most watched moment on the BBC this year. There were also 10.4 million streams on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the app. Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to bring England back after DR Congo had taken the lead in the seventh minute. The live coverage page has been viewed more than 20 million times worldwide, including 14 million in the UK, marking the biggest day on the BBC Sport website and app since the last World Cup. England face Mexico in the quarter-finals at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday. The game is scheduled for 01:00 BST and will be broadcast live on BBC One, radio and online. England's group games against Croatia and Ghana began at 9:00 p.m., while the game against Panama took place at 10:00 p.m. The opening game against Croatia (15.4m peak) and win over Panama (13.76m peak) were shown on ITV, while the draw with Ghana peaked at 15.4m on the BBC, plus 8.3m requests on the BBC Sport app and on BBC iPlayer. “These are exceptional viewing figures that show the BBC is the place to be

where the nation gathers for the biggest sporting events," said Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of Sport at the BBC. "We are proud to deliver the moments that matter to viewers, no matter how and where they watch the tournament, as England's World Cup journey continues." The World Cup accounted for more than a third (34%) of all hours streamed on BBC iPlayer during the final week of the group stages. Football Daily's visual podcast is also proving popular with fans, recording more than two million streams during the group stage. And on social media, BBC Sport has generated 889 million video views during the tournament so far. The game against Mexico will be the Three Lions' first overnight game in the tournament for UK spectators. This poses a problem for England's young fans as parents debate how they can watch the game on a school day. Thomas Tuchel was asked about this dilemma after England's win, with the head coach replying: "Write an apology to the school and let them watch." "There are so many schools to visit, but the World Cup only happens every four years. Let them watch. There is a big game in four days and we need everyone's support, especially the children."