England boss Thomas Tuchel will continue Gareth Southgate's penalty plan at FIFA World Cup

The Three Lions take on DR Congo in the last 16 on Wednesday in Atlanta. As with any knockout contest, extra time and penalties remain a possible route to deciding the outcome.

England's record from the spot was transformed during Southgate's reign. Before his appointment in 2016, the national team had prevailed in just one of seven major tournament shoot-outs. That figure improved dramatically under Southgate, with England emerging victorious in three of their four attempts.

"The FA has a programme that has been in place for years and we follow the programme," Tuchel said.

"We are prepared. We have a process, the players have a process."

He added: "We know who takes them and we know the order but we don't know who finishes the game."

Southgate rejected the idea that penalties were simply a matter of luck, instead insisting that careful planning and detailed preparation produced better results.

England's squad regularly rehearsed penalties in training under conditions designed to mirror the pressure of a competitive shoot-out, helping players rely on muscle memory.

Penalty takers were identified well before matches according to their training performances, while Southgate also accepted public responsibility for shoot-out outcomes to ease the burden on his players.

Each designated taker was paired with a "buddy" who met them after their kick to help relieve psychological pressure.