Kane rescues England as Congo DR’s historic World Cup run ends

Harry Kane turned one of Congo DR’s most important nights into another England escape, scoring in the 75th and 86th minutes to seal a 2-1 win at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Brian Cipenga had put Congo DR ahead in the 7th minute, and for long stretches the match felt like it could become the country’s defining football result.

Instead, Thomas Tuchel’s England found a way through after a stubborn second-half chase. Tuchel said the comeback reflected his side’s energy and belief, saying they “kept knocking to crack that rock,” after England spent much of the game trying to break down a Congo DR defense that had already carried the tournament’s surprise team into the Round of 32.

The collapse was especially cruel because Congo DR had already delivered one of the World Cup’s most improbable runs. They had drawn with Portugal and beaten Uzbekistan 3-1 to reach the knockout stage in only their second World Cup appearance, and this was their first-ever World Cup knockout match. For a nation that had never been this deep in the tournament, the evening in Atlanta carried the weight of history.

Lionel Mpasi kept that history alive as long as he could. FIFA’s match report credited the Congo DR goalkeeper with several superb saves, including stops from two Jude Bellingham headers and a close-range Kane volley. Yoane Wissa also hit the post just before halftime, a chance that could have changed the shape of the entire match before England’s pressure finally told.

England’s numbers underlined the territorial edge that eventually mattered. The official match stats showed 53% possession, 16 shots and 482 completed passes for England, compared with Congo DR’s 37% possession and seven shots. Anthony Gordon, coming off the bench, helped set up the winning attack, and Kane’s brace took him to 12 goals in World Cup finals and 11 goals overall at the tournament in England Football’s reporting.

The victory sent England into the Round of 16 for the third straight World Cup. They will play Mexico on July 6, 2026, at Mexico City Stadium, carrying forward a record that also extended their unbeaten run to nine World Cup matches against African opposition. For Congo DR, the ending was devastating because the opportunity was so rare and so real.