England staged an emphatic 2nd half turnaround to win 2-1 against the Dominic Republic of Congo to progress to the next round of the knockouts, which is the Round of 16. Three Lions captain Harry Kane produced an inspirational performance, scoring two goals within 10 minutes to keep his side’s hopes alive in the on-going FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Atlanta Stadium, perhaps, witnessed one of the best matches of the first-ever 48-team edition, which is being hosted across the United States of America, Mexico and Canada. Giant killing had almost become a norm in the FIFA World Cup 2026 until England saved the day for themselves against a spirited and disciplined DR Congo side.
On Monday night, Japan had almost eliminated Brazil but the 5-time champions were somehow able to manage a narrow 2-1 victory, but what happened on the following day, absolutely shook everyone. First, Paraguay knocked out 4-time champions Germany by 4-3 on penalties and then African champions Morocco shocked the Netherlands 3-2 in another penalty shootout.
And tonight, DR Congo were also on their way to committing a massive upset but Thomas Tuchel’s England saved themselves from a major embarrassment.
Congo had started on the front foot as they stunned England early on in the 7th minute when Brian Cipenga scored a brilliant goal to give the African underdogs a shocking lead. Following the opener, Congo defended solidly, putting bodies on the line and frustrating the English attackers with a compact low block.
England’s frustrations grew when the referee made a controversial decision, denying a clear penalty to Harry Kane after a heavy challenge in the box. Despite that call and Congo’s stubborn defensive discipline, England kept pressing but they entered the dressing room at half-time with a 1-0 trail.
In the 2nd half, England completely turned the game around with a highly dominant performance. Managerial changes in tactics saw the team stretch the pitch wide, which quickly tired out the Congolese defense.
Harry Kane took control of the match, scoring 2 clinical goals which ruled the Congolese side out of the game. He scored his first by meeting a sharp cross from the wing with a powerful header into the bottom corner in the 75th minute before confirming his brace 11 minutes later from a precise low finish inside the box after a clever pass from Anthony Gordon.
With these two crucial strikes, Harry Kane moved past Brazil great Pele (11 gls) in the all-time World Cup goalscoring record list as the Englishman registered his 12th and 13th goal. England’s 2nd half resurgence ultimately proved too much for Congo who had famously held Portugal to a goalless draw in the group stages.
Who will England face in the Round of 16?
England has sealed a Round of 16 meeting with co-hosts Mexico on Monday, July 6 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in the Mexican capital.
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