Trailing from the sixth minute, Harry Kane scored twice in the 75th and 86th minutes to rescue England, leading the Three Lions to a 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 at Atlanta Stadium on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
England were stunned by an early goal from DR Congo in the sixth minute when Brian Cipenga found the net after escaping his marker on the left flank. The Three Lions dominated possession and repeatedly pressured the Congolese defense but struggled to convert their chances. England head coach Thomas Tuchel was visibly frustrated by his team’s performance and responded by introducing Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka in place of Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke in the 61st minute.
Kane eventually emerged as England’s hero, heading home the equalizer in the 75th minute from Gordon’s cross. Four minutes before the end of regulation time, the England captain struck again with a powerful finish to secure a 2-1 victory and send the Three Lions into the Round of 16, where they will face host nation Mexico.
Tuchel said his team’s mentality was the key to the comeback victory. He praised his players for refusing to lose confidence after conceding an early goal.
“We have to maintain that mentality. When matches become difficult, they will indeed be difficult. But we must never lose patience or stop believing,” Tuchel said.
Meanwhile, Kane emphasized that anyone in the squad could step up as the match-winner.
“Today it happened to be me. Throughout the week, we also talked about staying true to ourselves,” Kane said.
He also praised DR Congo’s performance. Although his second-half brace proved decisive, Kane admitted England still had several areas to improve if they hoped to make a deep run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“In the knockout stage, the most important thing is to get through. We’ve reached the point in the tournament where you have to fight hard for every victory, and that’s exactly what we did today,” he said.
DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre, meanwhile, said his team had performed well but was ultimately undone by Harry Kane’s individual brilliance.
“Toward the end of the match we gave away two chances, and one of the best players in the world scored twice against us. It’s very unfortunate,” Desabre said.
The French coach praised his players’ performance, adding that his team lacked experience in matches of this magnitude. He believes facing a world-class team like England will provide valuable experience for the future development of Congolese football.
“They gained invaluable experience by playing against a team like this,” he said.***
