World Cup
England
Jul 1, 2026 5.00pm
2
1
HT : 0 1
FT Atlanta Stadium
Congo DR
  • Jude Bellingham 19' yellowcard
  • Harry Kane  75' goal
  • Harry Kane  86' goal
  • goal Brian Cipenga 7'
  • yellowcard Noah Sadiki 27'
  • yellowcard Noah Sadiki 28'

England 2-1 Congo DR: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Harry Kane surpasses Pele to send Three Lions into round of 16

By | , Last updated:

Better than Pele! Kane to the rescue as England reach World Cup last 16
© Imago / GEPA pictures

Harry Kane scored twice as England came from behind to record a 2-1 victory over Congo DR in the last-32 stage of the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday.

Brian Cipenga sent Congo DR ahead in the seventh minute, and it was a struggle for England for long stages of the contest.

However, Kane levelled the scores with a header in the 75th minute before striking a glorious winner for Thomas Tuchel's side to send them into the round of 16.

England will now take on co-hosts Mexico in the next round on Sunday.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

© Imago / ZUMA Press Wire

Goodness me. What a match.

Huge credit must go to Congo DR, who put in a heroic effort on Wednesday, but La Celeste ultimately came up short, largely due to the brilliance of England captain Kane.

The Three Lions skipper scored a brace to move him onto 13 World Cup goals, one more than the legendary Pele managed, and how his country needed him.

Kane's second was a truly stunning effort, firing into the back of the net in a real piece of quality, but there remain huge question marks surrounding this England side.

It was not a performance that the likes of France, Argentina and Spain will be worried about, but an exit for England here would have been utterly disastrous, and they remain in the competition.

ENGLAND VS. CONGO DR HIGHLIGHTS

Brian Cipenga goal vs. England (7th min, England 0-1 Congo DR)

Congo DR take the lead against England, and it is Cipenga on the scoresheet, with the attacker firing the ball past Jordan Pickford at his near post.

Djed Spence was nowhere to be seen when the ball was shifted across, and Cipenga managed to find the finish to shock England in the early stages.

Harry Kane goal vs. England (75th min, England 1-1 Congo DR)

England level the scores in the 75th minute of the match, and it is Kane with the header - the England skipper nodding a cross from Anthony Gordon into the back of the net.

Harry Kane goal vs. England (86th min, England 2-1 Congo DR)

Scenes! Kane scores a second for England and has perhaps sent the Three Lions into the round of 16, with the striker smashing one into the roof of the net from just inside the box.

MAN OF THE MATCH - HARRY KANE

© Iconsport / PA Images

A number of Congo DR players are unfortunate to miss out on this award, including goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau and centre-back Axel Tuanzebe, but it just has to be Kane.

It proved to be a difficult first half for Kane, but the Three Lions captain proved his class in the second period, saving his team from what would have been a disastrous exit.

ENGLAND VS. CONGO DR MATCH STATS

Possession: England 60%-40% Congo DR

Shots: England 16-7 Congo DR

Shots on target: England 7-2 Congo DR

Corners: England 5-3 Congo DR

Fouls: England 10-12 Congo DR

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

England will march into the round of 16, with Mexico their opponents at Estadio Azteca on Sunday, ahead of a potential quarter-final against Brazil.

Congo DR, meanwhile, can look back on an excellent World Cup and will soon begin their preparations for their Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, which starts against Equatorial Guinea on September 23.

Author photo

Written by

Share this article:

People mentioned in this article :

Teams mentioned in this article :

England related articles
Football related articles
Subscribe to our newsletter

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.

Subscribe