Kane's late double sinks DR Congo and sends England into the last 16

Harry Kane scored twice in the final 21 minutes to overturn a first-half deficit and carry England to a 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 at Atlanta Stadium on July 1, 2026. The result ended a long-running Congo resistance and secured England's place in the round of 16.

Brian Cipenga put Congo ahead in the seventh minute, and that lead held through the second-half hydration break as England struggled to find a way through. The breakthrough came in the 75th minute when Kane met a cross from Anthony Gordon with a header, pulling level despite goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi getting a hand to the ball. Eleven minutes later, Kane collected possession, evaded defenders and drove a right-footed effort into the top-right corner to settle the contest. It was a result that carried notable historical weight: England had previously won only one World Cup match after conceding the opening goal, a comeback that dated to the 1966 final against West Germany at Wembley Stadium. betting on biathlon

The two goals were Kane's 83rd and 84th for England, both in his 118th international appearance, extending his record as the country's all-time leading scorer. In World Cup football specifically, the goals took his tournament tally to 13 across 16 matches, surpassing the 12 scored by Pelé, and he has now scored five times in four appearances at the 2026 tournament. DR Congo had entered the match as heavy outsiders against an England side that has reached the round of 16 in six of the last seven World Cups, with the exception coming at the 2022 tournament in Qatar where they were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage. England finished fourth at the 2018 tournament in Russia. "It was just about pounding the rock, keep pounding the rock and our moment would come," Kane said. "Whoever it is, we have hero moments, and for me it was the day."

England will face Mexico in Mexico City on Sunday in the round of 16, a fixture that places them on the road in a partisan atmosphere on Mexican home soil. Should England progress through the knockout rounds, a potential meeting with the United States in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 remains a mathematical possibility.