Jordan Pickford has conceded twice in three World Cup matches so far, and on both occasions he could do little about it.
That is the story of his tournament so far: tidy, largely untroubled, and reliable in the moments that have mattered. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Panama, secured by second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, kept that record intact and sent England into the last 32 unbeaten.
A quiet night, but still with saves to make
Panama, in the end, gave Pickford more work than either Croatia or Ghana. He was called into action inside the first ten seconds as Panama attacked straight from kick-off, and produced his best moment of the night midway through the second half, getting down well to deny Jose Luis Rodríguez at his near post on the break.
For long spells either side of that, his evening was about concentration, passing and handling crosses rather than saves — generally low-key stuff against a side happy to sit deep and counter.
It earned him a second clean sheet of the tournament, and continued a run that has never seriously been in doubt. The goalkeeping debate around Pickford rarely concerns shot-stopping; it tends to focus on distribution, the odd erratic moment, and that conversation resurfaced online again after Panama, despite the result. Not really sure why.
None of it will, of course, affect his place. He has started every England match at every tournament since the 2018 World Cup, where his save from a Colombia penalty in the round-of-16 remains one of the defining moments of his international career.
Saturday’s appearance also moved him to 15 World Cup caps, second only to Peter Shilton’s 17 in England’s history — a record built on consistency rather than any one single moment.
Why DR Congo will ask different questions
England’s round-of-32 opponents arrive in Atlanta as the most ‘unfamiliar’ side they have faced so far. DR Congo are at their first World Cup finals since 1974, when they competed as Zaire, and have reached the knockout stage for the first time in their history after drawing with Portugal, losing to Colombia and beating Uzbekistan in the group.
Sebastien Desabre’s side are built to defend in numbers and break quickly. Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa, who scored 20 goals for Brentford in 2024-25, carries their main attacking threat, supported by the experienced Cedric Bakambu, who sits one goal short of DR Congo’s all-time scoring record.
Captain Chancel Mbemba, the country’s record cap-holder, anchors the defence alongside West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka — a player reportedly on the Everton wish-list and with a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most accomplished one-on-one defenders, which was built over five years at Manchester United before his move to East London in 2024.
Where Panama sat back and waited, DR Congo are more likely to commit men forward, particularly through Wissa’s pace in behind. For Pickford, that could mean a busier night — the kind of evening where an error carries far more weight than any other game.
England remain clear favourites given the gap in squad depth and tournament experience, but DR Congo’s run to this stage has been built on discipline rather than good fortune and they’re not to be underestimated.
Pickford’s tournament has so far been relatively trouble-free, but from here on in, it’s knockout football. Wednesday evening will be a real test of nerve – for Everton’s number one and for England.
