England recovered from an early scare to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, with Harry Kane scoring twice in the second half to inspire a 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo in their Round of 32 clash at Atlanta Stadium, Georgia on Wednesday.
The Three Lions were stunned inside seven minutes when DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba's cross found Brian Cipenga unmarked inside the penalty area. The winger made no mistake, firing a powerful low shot to beat Jordan Pickford past his near post and hand the African side a dream start.
Thomas Tuchel's side dominated possession but struggled to break down DR Congo's disciplined defensive shape. England's frustration grew in the 43rd minute when Kane's penalty appeal was waved away after the striker went down under pressure from goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, with VAR allowing the on-field decision to stand. Moments later, Mpasi produced a superb reflex save to deny Kane from close range and preserve his side's lead going into halftime.
Recognising the need for greater attacking impetus, Tuchel introduced Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka just after the hour mark before later bringing on Eberechi Eze and shifting Declan Rice to right-back. The tactical tweaks immediately stretched the Congolese defence and changed the complexion of the contest.
England finally found the breakthrough in the 75th minute. Rice switched play to Gordon on the left, and the substitute delivered a looping cross into the six-yard box for Kane, who rose above his marker to guide a header beyond Mpasi for the equaliser.
With extra time looming, Gordon combined with Kane once again in the 86th minute. Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area with his back to goal, the England captain spun away from his marker before unleashing a powerful strike into the top-right corner to complete the comeback. FIFA's tracking data recorded the shot at a blisterring pace of 94 km/h.
The brace also saw Kane move onto 13 FIFA World Cup goals, going past the legendary Pele and drawing level with France great Just Fontaine on the tournament's all-time scoring charts while also strengthening his challenge for the 2026 Golden Boot. He now has five goals in the competition, level with Erling Haaland and one behind joint leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
The victory sends England into the Round of 16, where Tuchel's side will face tournament co-hosts Mexico at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on July 5.
ALSO READ | Harry Kane Goes Past Legendary Pele In FIFA World Cup All-Time Top-Scorer List
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