World Cup 2026: England comes from behind to defeat DR Congo (2-1) and meets Mexico!

01.07.26 FT World Cup

England

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DR Congo

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Pushed to the limit for much of the match by a spirited DR Congo side, England ultimately turned things around thanks to a brace from their captain, Harry Kane.

England narrowly avoided disaster. Trailing for over an hour against a gutsy DR Congo team, the Three Lions finally rallied to secure a 2-1 victory at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, punching their ticket to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, where Mexico now awaits them.

Read also: WC 2026: Harry Kane saves England and stuns DR Congo

DR Congo dared to dream of an upset

The script started perfectly for the Leopards. In just the 7th minute, Brian Cipenga silenced the English fans, finishing off a ball cleverly dummied by Yoane Wissa after a pinpoint pass from Chancel Mbemba. Organized and disciplined, Sébastien Desabre's men managed to contain the English attacks, thanks especially to a heroic Lionel Mpasi, who made several crucial saves.

Kane turns the game on its head in ten minutes

However, Thomas Tuchel's tactical changes proved decisive. The introduction of Anthony Gordon changed the flow of the match. In the 75th minute, the English winger found Harry Kane, who nodded in an unstoppable header to equalize. Eleven minutes later, the same duo linked up again, allowing the England skipper to net a decisive brace and become the all-time top scorer for England at the World Cup with 11 goals.

It was a cruel exit for DR Congo, who bow out of the tournament with heads held high after pushing one of the World Cup favorites to the brink.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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