Harry Kane scored twice in the closing stages as England came from behind to beat DR Congo 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium, securing a place in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic knockout clash.
England manager Thomas Tuchel made three changes to the side that defeated Panama 2-0. Djed Spence, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke came into the starting lineup, while Jarell Quansah missed out through injury and Morgan Rogers and Bukayo Saka dropped to the bench. Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford both made their 15th FIFA World Cup appearances, the joint-most by any England outfield player.
DR Congo boss Sebastien Desabre made one change to the team that faced Uzbekistan. Ngal’ayel Mukau replaced Cedric Bakambu as the Leopards switched from their usual 5-3-2 formation to a more compact 4-5-1 system.
The underdogs made the perfect start in the seventh minute. Chancel Mbemba produced a brilliant diagonal pass that found Cipenga on the left. The Almeria winger was given far too much space and rifled a low shot past Jordan Pickford at his near post to score his first international goal and hand DR Congo a stunning 1-0 lead.
The strike was the fifth-earliest goal England have conceded at a FIFA World Cup and their earliest since Belgium scored after four minutes in the 2018 third-place play-off.
England gradually settled into the contest and almost equalised midway through the first half. Spence responded well after his early mistake by bursting down the right before Sadiki brought him down. Rice delivered an inviting free-kick into the box, where Ezri Konsa got a touch, but the ball curled narrowly wide of the post.
The pressure continued two minutes later when Jude Bellingham met another dangerous Rice delivery with a powerful header. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi reacted brilliantly to tip the effort away and preserve DR Congo’s advantage.
England came even closer in the 35th minute. Madueke skipped past his marker on the right and clipped an excellent cross into the area. The ball reached Marcus Rashford, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka produced a superb goal-line clearance to deny the Manchester United forward.
DR Congo nearly doubled their lead just before half-time. Wan-Bissaka delivered a dangerous cross into the area, but Yoane Wissa struck the post with a first-time finish after England’s central defenders were caught out.
England thought they had won a penalty moments later when Kane chased a long ball and went down after Mpasi rushed from his goal. However, the referee waved play on and awarded a free-kick to DR Congo instead.
Mpasi continued his outstanding performance deep into first-half stoppage time. First, he made a superb save to keep out Bellingham’s downward header before somehow denying Kane from close range after Rice’s corner found the England captain at the back post.
England reached the interval trailing 1-0, extending a worrying statistic. The Three Lions had never won a World Cup match after falling behind at half-time.
The second half followed a similar pattern as England dominated possession. Bellingham forced another excellent save from Mpasi in the 53rd minute after driving into the box, while Mbemba cleared the rebound to safety.
DR Congo remained dangerous on the counter. Mbuku delivered a teasing cross that forced O’Reilly into an important block before Elliot Anderson headed another effort over the bar following a short corner routine.
England’s persistence finally paid off in the 75th minute. Substitute Anthony Gordon floated a brilliant cross into the penalty area, where Kane timed his run perfectly before guiding a header into the bottom corner. Even the outstanding Mpasi could not keep that one out.
Kane’s equaliser was England’s ninth headed goal at the World Cup since 2018, more than any other nation during that period.
With extra time looming, England completed the comeback in the 86th minute. After surviving a DR Congo attack, the Three Lions broke quickly. Mpasi saved Bellingham’s initial effort, but Gordon recycled possession and found Kane on the edge of the box. England’s captain unleashed a thunderous strike into the top-right corner to make it 2-1 and send the England supporters into celebration.
The goal was Kane’s fifth of the tournament and his 13th World Cup goal, taking him past Pele on the competition’s all-time scoring list.
DR Congo had one final opportunity in stoppage time when Yoane Wissa lined up a free-kick from a dangerous position. However, his effort sailed comfortably over the crossbar as England held on to secure victory.
The final whistle brought huge relief for Tuchel’s side, who had been just 15 minutes away from a shock elimination before Kane inspired another memorable comeback. England will now face co-hosts Mexico in the round of 16.
The victory also preserved England’s perfect record against African nations in World Cup knockout matches. They previously defeated Cameroon 3-2 in 1990 and Senegal 3-0 in 2022 before adding DR Congo to the list with this dramatic 2-1 triumph.
After the match, England’s players and supporters celebrated together by singing Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” which has become an anthem for the squad during this World Cup. The boos that greeted earlier performances completely faded, replaced by renewed belief that England’s tournament journey is far from over.
