- England secured a 2-1 comeback victory against DR Congo in the World Cup 2026 round of 32, with captain Harry Kane scoring both goals after his side initially fell behind.
- The match garnered the BBC's largest television audience of the year , attracting over 16.3 million viewers for the knockout encounter.
- An average of 14 million viewers watched the game, complemented by 10.4 million streams on BBC iPlayer, surpassing ITV's peak of 15.4 million for England's opening match against Croatia.
- Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC's director of sport, described the audience figures as “extraordinary”, highlighting the BBC's role as the nation's hub for major sporting moments.
- England will now progress to face Mexico, with the BBC scheduled to cover this upcoming game and holding the first pick for broadcasting the two semi-finals, while both BBC and ITV will air the final.
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