Harry Kane's brace sends England into World Cup R16: Stats
What's the story
England staged a remarkable comeback, defeating DR Congo 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash. The victory was spearheaded by captain Harry Kane, who scored both goals for the Three Lions in the second half. With this win, England has secured a spot in the Round of 16 where they will take on co-hosts Mexico. Here's more.
Match highlights
Kane's 2nd-half brace stuns DR Congo
Kane scored in the 75th and 86th minutes, bringing England back from a 0-1 deficit to clinch a dramatic 2-1 win. The first goal came from a header off substitute Anthony Gordon's cross, leveling the score. Kane then fired home a stunning winner in the dying minutes of the match, completing his brace and securing England's place in the knockout stage of the tournament.
Match challenges
How the match panned out
The match was not without its challenges for England. DR Congo stunned the team by scoring through Brian Cipenga just seven minutes into their first World Cup knockout game. The goal came after a defensive mix-up, with Cipenga beating Jordan Pickford at his near post. Despite several attempts from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, England struggled to find the back of the net in the first half.
Historical achievement
Kane surpasses Pele in all-time World Cup goals chart
Kane's brace against DR Congo took his tally to five goals in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. The England captain now has a total of 13 goals across World Cups, surpassing Brazilian legend Pele who also had 12. Kane has leveled former France star Just Fontaine in terms of World Cup goals (13). This historic achievement further cements Kane's status as one of the greatest strikers in football history.
Records
Massive records for England
As per Opta, Gordon became the first England player in FIFA World Cup history to be directly involved in more than one goal as a substitute (2 assists). England have now won a FIFA World Cup match after conceding the opening goal for only the second time in their history, also doing so in the 1966 final against Germany (4-2). England attempted a total of 35 crosses from open play versus DR Congo, their most in a FIFA World Cup match since the 1966 group stage against Mexico (37).
Information
Kane races to 84 goals for England
With this brace, Kane now owns 84 goals for England from 118 matches across all competitions. He has now scored in three different World Cups (also 2018 and 2022). Since Euro 2020, Kane has amassed 10 goals in knockout rounds (highest).
Do you know?
Kane equals Sir Geoff Hurst with this record
As per Squawka, Kane has now moved level with Sir Geoff Hurst (4) for knockout-stage goals for England at the FIFA World Cup, with only Gary Lineker (6) netting more for the Three Lions.