England's Harry Kane scores late double to advance past DR Congo in World Cup knockout round
Consensus Summary
England secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the World Cup knockout round, thanks to a late double from Harry Kane in the 82nd and 83rd minutes. The match began poorly for England, who conceded an early goal in the 7th minute through Brian Cipenga after defensive errors left them exposed. DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi made several crucial saves, including stopping Kane and Jude Bellingham, and was a standout performer. England, however, rallied under manager Thomas Tuchel, who made tactical substitutions, bringing on Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon, who provided both assists for Kane's goals. The victory marked England's ninth knockout round win since 1966 and advanced them to face Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca Stadium. Despite the win, both sources noted England's inconsistent performance, with defensive errors, missed chances, and a lack of composure early in the match. The team's reliance on Kane's heroics and Tuchel's tactical adjustments were key to their survival, but concerns remain about their ability to progress further in the tournament.
ā Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Harry Kane scored two goals in the 82nd and 83rd minutes to secure England's 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the World Cup knockout round.
- DR Congo took an early 1-0 lead in the 7th minute through Brian Cipenga, who scored after a defensive error by England.
- England faced elimination after conceding the opening goal and had only once won a World Cup match after conceding first (1966 vs. West Germany).
- Lionel Mpasi, the DR Congo goalkeeper, made multiple key saves, including stopping Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and was described as having the game of his life.
- Thomas Tuchel made tactical substitutions, bringing on Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon in the 60th minute, with Gordon providing both assists for Kane's goals.
- England's next match is against Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca Stadium.
- Harry Kane now has five goals in this World Cup, with his 82nd and 83rd goals for England being the fourth and fifth in the tournament.
- England had 16 shots in total, with seven on target, and an expected goals (xG) of 2.04 for the match.
- England had 40 touches inside the DR Congo penalty box but struggled to convert chances due to defensive errors and Mpasi's saves.
- The match took place at Atlanta Stadium, with England fans celebrating a come-from-behind victory.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Declan Rice stated, 'If you give him a chance, it's a goal. It's ridiculous the goals he scores and how he scores them.'
- Thomas Tuchel described the opening 20 minutes as 'the worst start possible' and praised the goalkeeper as 'incredible'.
- Wayne Rooney called Kane 'England's superstar' and 'the hero for us'.
- Former England defender Micah Richards said, 'Kane is the one who has stepped up when they needed him most.'
- Kane's second goal was described as a 'touch to turn, another to take the ball out to the right and a third to lash it at 113km/h into the roof of the net'.
- Anthony Barry noted that conceding an early goal to a team playing DR Congo's style 'can normally carry you into a state of shock' but England 'took the handbrake off'.
- England had a penalty appeal waved off after Kane was taken down in the penalty area, with Yoane Wissa hitting the post shortly after.
- The article compared England's struggles to Iceland 2016 and noted England had only ever lost once to an African team (to Senegal in a friendly in June 2025).
- Jude Bellingham was booked for a reckless lunge on Nathanaƫl Mbuku and was seen overheating during the match.
- Reece James had to calm Bellingham down during the first hydration break.
- The DRC were described as a team 'to unite a war-torn nation' and brought 'romance' to the tournament.
- The match was described as 'chaotic' and 'fraught' with England 'flirting aggressively with disaster'.
- The Guardian noted that England's performance was not one that suggested they would 'be around here for much longer'.
- The article mentioned that England had only won nine knockout round victories since 1966.
- The DRC played a 4-3-3 formation rather than the expected 4-5-1 low block.
- The referee, Adham Makhadmeh, decided against a penalty for Kane after contact with Mpasi, with no VAR intervention.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC article states that England had an xG of 2.04, while the Guardian does not mention this specific statistic.
- The Guardian describes the DRC as playing a 4-3-3 formation, while the ABC does not specify their formation but notes they were 'delivering desperate goal-line defence'.
- The ABC emphasizes that England were 'by far the superior team in Atlanta' after the first TV timeout, while the Guardian describes England as 'all over the place at the back' and 'unable to slow their hearts'.
- The ABC highlights that England had 'bundles of belief' and 'never stopped pushing forward', while the Guardian suggests England were 'running out of ideas' and 'frantic' in the second half.
Source Articles
'Ridiculous' Kane's 'hero moment' sends England through
Facing World Cup elimination at the hands of DR Congo, England needed a hero to step up when it mattered most. Harry Kane was that man.
Kane to the rescue with late double as England edge past DR Congo into last 16
Thomas Tuchelās mission to put a second World Cup star on the England shirt did not look as though it would reach the second knockout round. On a fraught and chaotic occasion in Atlanta, his team flirted aggressively with disaster. For 75 minutes, England mixed loose defending with an inability to take their chances. Which were plentiful. The Democratic Republic of the Congo goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi, had the game of his life. Who needs Lionel Messi. It was easy for Englandās long-suffering fans
England avert disaster against DR Congo but they must be better in Mexico City | Jacob Steinberg
It was an almost Iceland in Atlanta but Thomas Tuchel will have to get it right from the start in the cauldron of Azteca It was looking bleak out there. Ten years on, it was looking like Iceland all over again. The clock was ticking and the panic was rising. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), so impressive during that early surge at a disbelieving Atlanta Stadium, were starting to dream and England were about to become the punchline in one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. The