Harry Kane roars and the Three Lions advance to the round of 16

Harry Kane scored a crucial double to lead England to a comeback victory over Democratic Republic of Congo by 2-1 this Wednesday in the round of 16 of the , at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The match started poorly for the "Three Lions": B. Cipenga put the Congolese team ahead in the seventh minute with a goal that kept them in the lead for over an hour.

England did not find their way until coach Thomas Tuchel made substitutions in the 61st minute, bringing on Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka for Rashford and Madueke, and Eberechi Eze for Spence in the 70th.

The changes transformed the English game, and Kane seized the momentum: he equalized in the 75th minute and secured qualification with a second goal in the 86th, completing the comeback.

The double has added historical value: Kane entered the match with 10 goals in World Cups, a figure that tied the record of Gary Lineker as the highest English scorer in the history of the competition. With his two goals against the Congolese, the English captain now has 12 goals in World Cups and becomes England's all-time top scorer in the tournament, definitively surpassing Lineker.

Statistically, England dominated the match with 60% possession compared to 40% for Congo, 16 shots to six, and seven shots on target to two. Each team received a yellow card: Jude Bellingham in the 19th minute and N. Sadiki in the 28th.

With this victory, England advances to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, where they finished as the leader of Group L with seven points after defeating Croatia 4-2, drawing 0-0 with Ghana, and overcoming Panama 2-0.

For the DR Congo, the elimination comes after a journey that has already written its own chapter in the history of African football: the "Leopards" qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time, 52 years after their only appearance in a World Cup, when the country competed as Zaire in 1974.

Congo reached the Round of 32 as the best third-placed team in Group K with four points, resulting from a draw against Portugal, a loss to Colombia, and a victory over Uzbekistan, which was their first-ever win in a World Cup.