France Framed as the Team to Beat in Sutton’s World Cup Last-32 Picks

What happened: BBC Sport’s football expert Chris Sutton has issued predictions for the 2026 World Cup last-32 matches. The source frames France as a major reference point in the knockout picture, asking whether they are now the team to beat, and notes that Sutton’s round-of-32 calls include England against DR Congo.

Watch the highlights:

Why it matters: At this stage of a World Cup, prediction pieces are not just entertainment. They help show how the draw is being read by experienced observers: which teams are being treated as favorites, which matchups look dangerous, and where reputation may be doing extra work. The confirmed detail here is that France are being discussed in the strongest terms, while England’s next opponent is DR Congo.

Tournament impact: The last 32 is the point where a tournament starts to lose its safety net. A group-stage stumble can sometimes be repaired across three matches; a knockout mistake ends the campaign. If France are being framed as the team to beat, that raises the pressure around every selection call, tactical adjustment, and game-state decision from here. It also changes how neutral fans may read the bracket: France become a benchmark as much as a team.

England angle: England against DR Congo is specifically highlighted in the BBC summary, which makes it one of the ties Sutton addresses. The important tournament point is that England are no longer dealing in abstract expectations. Their campaign now turns on one match against a named opponent, with all the risk that brings. The source does not provide Sutton’s exact scoreline or reasoning in the supplied facts, so the only solid conclusion is that the tie is part of his last-32 prediction set.

What to watch: The useful follow-up is whether Sutton’s view reflects a wider consensus around France, or whether it is a sharper personal call based on the shape of the draw. For England, attention will be on how analysts assess DR Congo’s threat and whether the matchup is being treated as straightforward or awkward.

Confidence: Confirmed by the source: Chris Sutton has made predictions for the 2026 World Cup last-32 ties, France are presented as a team-to-beat discussion point, and England face DR Congo in a tie covered by the predictions. Not confirmed in the supplied facts: Sutton’s exact picks, scorelines, tactical arguments, or any team news.