Harry Kane continued to prove the value of a big star when he scored a double in the last 15 minutes, helping England come back to defeat the DRC to win a ticket to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
The African representative surprised right from the 7th minute with Brian Cipenga's goal. The early goal helped the DRC play confidently, while England faced many difficulties against a tightly organized defense and the excellent form of goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
Coach Thomas Tuchel's team also said that they deserved a penalty before halftime when Mpasi collided with Kane in the penalty area, but referee Adham Makhadmeh did not make a decision to award a penalty.
In the second half, the DRC still defended resiliently. Mpasi continued to shine with an excellent save against Jude Bellingham's shot. However, the continuous pressure from England finally worked.
In the 75th minute, Kane moved cleverly to head the ball into the opponent's net from Anthony Gordon's cross, equalizing 1-1. Just 11 minutes later, the England captain continued to shine with a decisive finish in the penalty area, completing a double and sealing a 2-1 victory, bringing a ticket to the round of 16 for the "Three Lions". The next opponent of England will be Mexico in the round of 16.
With 2 goals just scored, Kane has increased his record to 13 goals at World Cups, including 5 goals in this year's tournament. Only Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi (both with 6 goals) are scoring more goals than him at the 2026 World Cup. At the same time, the 32-year-old striker has also surpassed Pele to become one of the top scorers in the history of the tournament.
Two goals against DRC show Kane's comprehensiveness. The equalizer came from his signature positioning and heading ability, while the decisive goal is proof of his scoring instinct and sharp finishing ability.
Besides Kane's mark, Tuchel is also highly appreciated for his reasonable adjustments in the half-time breaks. After conceding an early goal, England played disjointedly and continuously made mistakes in deploying the ball. However, after each short consultation with the coaching staff, the "Three Lions" gradually regained control of the game, creating more opportunities before completing the comeback.
Despite winning, the defense was still a headache for Tuchel. DRC exploited the space behind the England defense many times and opened the score with a fairly simple attack. Djed Spence encountered many difficulties on the right flank, while Ezri Konsa also handled inaccurately in the situation leading to the conceded goal.
DRC Congo even almost doubled the gap before halftime when Yoane Wissa escaped, but his shot hit the post.
With Reece James and Jarell Quansah still not fully recovered from injuries, strengthening the defense will be Tuchel's top priority before the confrontation with Mexico in the round of 16.
I don't think this is a match with too many ups and downs. We conceded too early and that made things more difficult.
After about 20 minutes, I saw an England team playing better, more freely and creating more pressure on the opponent's goal. We created many clear chances. We could have been awarded a penalty but not, but the whole team still maintained their belief" - Tuchel said after the match.
