Kane's Late Brace Denies DR Congo's Historic World Cup Run as England Escape 2-1

Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to send England through to the World Cup last 16, but only after DR Congo, playing in their first-ever knockout match, had led for the better part of an hour and pushed a heavily-favoured England side to the edge of one of the tournament's biggest upsets.

The Round of 32 tie at Atlanta Stadium finished 2-1 to England, who now face the winner of Ecuador and Mexico in the next round. For DR Congo, appearing at just their second World Cup and reaching the knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history, the result ends a remarkable run that included a draw with Portugal and a come-from-behind win over Uzbekistan in the group stage.

Congo Strike First, England Rattled

DR Congo took the lead in the seventh minute in exactly the manner that had unsettled bigger opponents throughout their tournament. Captain Chancel Mbemba switched play with a diagonal ball that caught England right-back Djed Spence out of position, and winger Brian Cipenga collected it unmarked before finishing low past Jordan Pickford for his first international goal.

England struggled to find rhythm for long stretches of the first half against a well-organised Congolese defensive block marshalled by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who produced a string of saves to keep the lead intact, including a reflex stop from a Jude Bellingham effort. England's best chance of the half saw Ezri Konsa's shot come back off the post, and a late penalty appeal involving Kane was waved away after a VAR review. Jude Bellingham picked up the match's first yellow card in the 19th minute for a challenge on DR Congo's Mbuku. Six minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the half, but neither side could find a breakthrough, and DR Congo went in at the interval leading 1-0.

Congo Push for a Second

DR Congo continued to look the more threatening side after the break. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, one of several Congolese players with Premier League experience, set up Yoane Wissa with a cross that struck the post, denying what would have been a decisive second goal. England created chances of their own without finding a way through: a Kane run was broken up inside the box, Marcus Rashford had a shot cleared off the line by Wan-Bissaka, and Mpasi denied a close-range Bellingham header from a Declan Rice cross.

With England chasing the game, manager Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench, bringing on Bukayo Saka for Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon for Rashford, and later Eberechi Eze for Spence. The changes shifted the balance of the match.

Kane Levels, Then Wins It

The equaliser came in the 75th minute. Gordon, on for barely a quarter of an hour, delivered a precise cross from the left that picked out Kane, who peeled off his marker and headed the ball into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

DR Congo did not retreat after conceding, continuing to press for a winner of their own as the match opened up. But with under three minutes remaining before stoppage time, England completed the turnaround. Bellingham forced another save from Mpasi, Gordon collected the rebound, and teed up Kane on the edge of the box. Kane's finish flew high into the corner for his second of the match, a brace that made him the first England player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker's performance against Cameroon in 1990. England held on from there to close out the win.

The Bigger Picture

DR Congo's tournament ends in defeat, but not in disgrace. A side ranked 46th in the world, appearing in a World Cup knockout match for the first time in the country's history, led one of the pre-tournament favourites for over an hour and were within minutes of one of the great upsets of the competition. Their run through the group stage, a draw with Portugal, a defeat to Colombia, and a fighting win over Uzbekistan to sneak through as one of the best third-placed teams, was built on the same defensive discipline and counter-attacking directness that nearly carried them past England.

For a continent that has long produced individual talent absorbed into European club football, DR Congo's run is a reminder of what organised, well-coached African international sides can do on the sport's biggest stage. Several of their players, Wan-Bissaka, Noah Sadiki, and Wissa among them, are established Premier League names, proof that the gap between African international teams and the traditional footballing powers is closing faster than seeding and rankings suggest. England will move on with relief rather than confidence, aware that their run through the group stage was far less convincing than the form book predicted, and that the next opponent will punish the same slow starts that DR Congo so nearly exploited.

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Related Reading:

• DR Congo's World Cup Story: From First-Timers to Round of 32
• Africa's Rising Football Powers: The Players Behind the Continent's World Cup Runs
• England's Knockout Stage History: Why Slow Starts Keep Catching Up With Them

Sources:

• Al Jazeera, "LIVE: England vs DR Congo – FIFA World Cup 2026"
• Outlook India, "England 2-1 DR Congo LIVE Score, FIFA World Cup 2026 Last 32"
• NBC News, "World Cup 2026 live updates: England wins 2-1 against DR Congo"
• VAVEL USA, "England 2-1 DR Congo LIVE Score Updates: Kane scores his second"
• FIFA.com, "England v Congo DR | World Cup Round of 32 | Match preview"
• FOX Sports, "England vs. DR Congo Prediction, Odds, Picks For World Cup Match"

tags: [DR Congo, England, World Cup 2026, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Atlanta, football]