England were booed by fans at the Atlanta Stadium after falling behind to DR Congo in their World Cup 2026 last 32 tie.
Brian Cipenga capitalised on sloppy defending from England, with Djed Spence missing a header and Noni Madueke failing to track the winger before a powerful finish beat Jordan Pickford at the near post.
Boos could be heard after 20 minutes and while many supporters have shown their disdain for hydration breaks at this tournament, the boos that followed at the first break appeared to be directed at both the England performance and Fifa’s controversial format. And BBC co-commentator and former England international Alan Shearer was left furious with the performance.
“They’ve been too slow, they’ve been punished, not good enough, they’ve had one good half in four games, it’s too bitty in other games. Yes, we might have got results, but in that first quarter, if you like, it’s nowhere near good enough.”
Then a glum-looking England fan appeared on the broadcast, with Shearer resonating with the dejected look.
The former England No 9 added: “That sums it up perfectly, DR Congo have been outstanding, the attitude of, ‘we don’t care who you are, or your reputations,’ they don’t win you games, they’ve been the better team by far. We’re yet to see it [courage].”
Wayne Rooney remarked at half-time: “It was poor and I don’t think there was any energy about them,”
While Micah Richards added: “I don’t know what they’re trying to do. It’s so easy for DR Congo to play through the lines. It’s really frustrating watching England play like this, they’ve got so much more.
“It’s like they’ve turned up, expecting to win the game. For the goal, everything is too easy.”
