Harry Kane once again delivered when England needed him the most, scoring twice in the second half to inspire the Three Lions' 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash at Atlanta Stadium, Georgia. With Thomas Tuchel's side staring at a shock exit after falling behind early, the England captain produced two decisive moments to fire his team into the last 16 while further cementing his place among the tournament's greatest goalscorers.
England endured a frustrating evening for much of the contest after Brian Cipenga fired DR Congo into a seventh-minute lead. The Three Lions controlled possession and created several chances but were unable to find an equaliser before the break. Their frustration grew further late in the first half when Kane went down inside the penalty area after racing onto a through ball from Jude Bellingham, only for referee Adham Makhadmeh to wave away his penalty appeal while gesturing that Kane had dived, with VAR upholding the decision.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute after Tuchel's changes paid dividends. The England manager shifted Declan Rice to right-back to accommodate Eberechi Eze in midfield, while introducing fresh legs on the wings in Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka.
The move had an immediate impact. Rice made a surging run into the penalty area before clipping a looping pass to Gordon on the left. The substitute then curled a teasing cross into the six-yard box, where Kane timed his run to perfection, rising above his marker to power a downward header beyond goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and restore parity.
With extra time looming, Gordon turned provider once again, finding Kane on the edge of the penalty area. The England captain received the ball with his back to goal, spun away from his defender and created space for a shot at the edge of the box. The 32-year-old striker then unleashed a ferocious right-footed effort that flew into the top-right corner at a measured speed of 94 km/h, completing England's comeback and sending the Three Lions into the Round of 16.
The brace also marked another historic milestone in Kane's glittering international career. His equaliser took him to 12 FIFA World Cup goals, drawing him level with Brazilian great Pelé. His second of the night moved him onto 13 goals, lifting him alongside France legend Just Fontaine in joint sixth on the competition's all-time goalscoring list. Earlier in the tournament, Kane had already overtaken Gary Lineker to become England's highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Kane has now scored in three different editions of the tournament. After winning the Golden Boot with six goals at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, he added two more in Qatar four years later before taking his tally to five goals at the ongoing 2026 edition.
His latest double also strengthened his bid for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot. Kane is now level with Erling Haaland on five goals and just one behind joint leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, who have six goals apiece.
FIFA World Cup Men's All-Time Top Scorers
| Rank | Player | National Team | World Cup Goals |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 19 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 18 |
| 3 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 |
| 4 | Ronaldo Nazário | Brazil | 15 |
| 5 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 14 |
| 6 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 |
| 6 | Harry Kane | England | 13 |
| 8 | Pelé | Brazil | 12 |
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