Harry Kane double rescues England from shock exit against DR Congo in World Cup round of 32
England trailed for 68 minutes before their captain struck twice in the final quarter-hour to avoid a stunning elimination at the hands of DR Congo.
Early shock in Atlanta
England's World Cup campaign almost came to an abrupt end in the round of 32 when DR Congo took a shock lead after only seven minutes. Brian Cipenga, unmarked in the area, collected a pass from Chancel Mbemba and fired low past Jordan Pickford. The Congolese, who had held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in the group stage, carried that advantage deep into the second half while goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi produced a string of saves to deny Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
Kane turns the tide
England's pressure finally told in the 75th minute. Anthony Gordon swung in a cross from the left and Kane rose to head the equaliser. Eleven minutes later, the same combination unlocked the defence again: Gordon found Kane inside the box, and the Bayern Munich striker cut inside before rifling a right-footed shot into the net to make it 2-1. Gordon became the first substitute to provide two assists in a World Cup knockout match.
- Brian Cipenga scores for DR Congo (7')
- Harry Kane equalises with a header (75')
- Kane scores the winner from inside the box (86')
Record-chasing captain
With his brace, Kane moved to five goals at the 2026 tournament, one behind joint leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. His career World Cup tally now stands at 13, surpassing Pelé's 12 and drawing level with Just Fontaine for sixth on the all-time list. Across the 2025/26 season, Kane has scored 72 goals in 62 appearances for club and country.
- Lionel Messi
- 6 goals
- Kylian Mbappé
- 6 goals
- Harry Kane
- 5 goals
Other last-32 drama
Elsewhere, Belgium staged a late comeback of their own. Trailing Senegal 2-0 after 85 minutes, they forced extra time and eventually progressed. The United States, meanwhile, saw off Bosnia despite playing the final half-hour with ten men after a red card at 1-0. Belgium and the USA will meet in the round of 16 on Monday in Seattle.
What comes next
England advance to a round-of-16 clash with Mexico on Sunday at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. DR Congo depart with their best World Cup performance, having previously lost all three group matches as Zaire in 1974.
