Harry Kane carries England to World Cup Round of 16 with late second half brace against DR Congo on day four of the Round of 32

All of England can breathe a major sigh of relief. The Three Lions are advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup after a nail-biting 2-1 win over DR Congo. 

England was on the brink of an embarrassing exit until Harry Kane stepped up and scored a second-half brace to launch them into the next round. They will now have a major test ahead of them in the Round of 16 when they go up against Mexico in Mexico City on Sunday at 8:00 pm EDT.

General view inside the stadium before the match

Siphiwe Sibeko

World Cup Round of 32  - England vs DR Congo

Brian Cipenga put DR Congo up 1-0 just in the seventh minute to shock the entire crowd at Atlanta Stadium. A switch of play from Chancel Mbemba allowed Cipenga plenty of space to fire off a shot that went low and past Jordan Pickford at his near post. DR Congo supporters roared as Atlanta Stadium went into raptures, with the Leopards going 1-0 up on the Three Lions. 

England was generating chance after chance after going down, but Lionel Mpasi was making unreal save after unreal save. Attempts by Kane, Marcus Rashford, you name it, nothing was getting past Mpasi. The first half finished with England having four shots on target, all of which were denied. 

DR Congo's Brian Cipenga scores their first goal past England's Jordan Pickford

Claudia Greco

Thomas Tuchel made his first substitutions for England in the 61st minute, bringing on Bukayo Saka for Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon for Marcus Rashford. 

With the clock ticking, England finally answered in the 75th minute. Kane finally beat Mpasi after a brilliant lofted pass from Gordon. Tuchel's subs were already making an immediate impact. 

England's Harry Kane scores their second goal

Siphiwe Sibeko

Just 11 minutes later, it was the England captain again who put his country ahead. After countering a previous DR Congo attack, Jude Bellingham saw his shot blocked by Mpasi. The ball was worked, with Gordon finding Kane at the edge of the area, and Kane sent the ball into the right of the goal for his fifth of the tournament. Of course, it was Kane who ended up being England's savior in a critical moment. Another superb effort from Gordon allowed England to avoid going to extra time. 

Kane's second goal of the match is his 13th goal of the season, seeing him surpass Pele on the all-time leaderboard. He is now tied with Just Fontaine (13) and is sitting behind Gerd Müller (14). 

England's Harry Kane celebrates after the match

Brett Davis TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Gordon became the first England player to record multiple goal involvements as a substitute in a World Cup match. With a heavy battle looming against Mexico, Gordon may have had a case to start on Sunday. 

DR Congo played stellar in the loss to England. Their forward play remained rapid on the ball throughout both halves, and their defense remained controlled and compact despite conceding two late goals. DR Congo proved many wrong by advancing to the Round of 32 for the first time in history, and played their hearts out for their nation. 

Day 5 of the Round of 32