An English star shares good news after reaching the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 and speaks frankly about two other matters.
On 2 July 2026, Declan Rice, vice-captain midfielder of the England national team, spoke after their narrow 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the World Cup 2026 Round of 32, advancing to face co-host Mexico on 5 July.
In this match, Declan Rice started as a central midfielder but had to drop back to right-back to replace Jaden Spence, who was substituted in the 70th minute due to multiple injuries to players in that position—Reece James, Jarell Quansah, who remains with the team, and Tino Livramento, who withdrew before the tournament began.
At the 90th minute, Rice was substituted off for John Stones because of a lingering hamstring muscle issue dating back to the group stage; he was seen icing the injury on the bench.
When asked about his recent injury, Declan Rice shared encouraging news with England fans: "I'm fine, no problems at all. Everything's okay."
Rice spoke about the tough victory and England's progression, saying, "This is a knockout game. The opponents came through a difficult group stage, so it was never going to be an easy match."
"Whether you're a fan or a player, you can't underestimate the opposition because they have quality and can challenge us at any time. They did that, but I think we created plenty of scoring chances."
"Credit must go to their goalkeeper, who made incredible saves, and Harry Kane, who did his job by scoring. It was a deserved win, although we made it harder than necessary. The most important thing in knockout rounds is to secure the win, and we succeeded."
"(Regarding playing right-back) Those final 12 minutes were probably the toughest part of the game. At times, it felt like a basketball match with back-and-forth attacks. We had to slow the game down because they have fast wingers. I think we made it more difficult than it needed to be."
"I've played this position two or three times this season. I understand the role well, though it might not be my strongest position. Still, I'm ready to do whatever it takes for the team and the manager."
"With 12 minutes left, I said I'd do my best, and I think I performed well. We'll see how it goes in the next game, but hopefully, I won't have to play right-back again."
