England survived a major scare to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16. They were trailing 1-0 in the first half and fought their way back to seal a 2-1 win over DR Congo in a gripping clash in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Notably, the African underdogs stunned England just seven minutes into the contest when Brian Cipenga capitalised on a defensive lapse. Chancel Mbemba flicked on a long delivery into the penalty area, allowing Cipenga to beat Jordan Pickford with a composed finish at the near post. The early breakthrough gave DR Congo confidence as they frustrated England with disciplined defending and dangerous counter-attacks.
England dominated possession for long spells but struggled to convert chances. DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi delivered an inspired performance, producing a series of crucial saves to deny Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford. England also appealed for a first-half penalty after Kane went down inside the box, but the referee waved play on following a VAR review.
The fanatic named Harry Kane
With time running out, England finally found the breakthrough in the 75th minute. Anthony Gordon floated an inviting cross into the area, where Kane rose highest to guide a powerful header beyond Mpasi and restore parity.
The equaliser transformed the momentum of the contest. Eleven minutes later, Kane struck again, reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area. He dribbled past a couple of defenders outside the box and shoot it fine as Mpasu had little to do. With that, the celebration broke inside the England camp, as the team was confident of pulling off the win and they eventually did it.ย
Meanwhile, despite the defeat, DR Congo earned widespread praise for a fearless display in their first-ever World Cup knockout appearance. They remained organised for much of the match and came close to producing one of the tournamentโs biggest upsets before Englandโs late surge.
The victory for England means that the team will now face Mexico in the Round of 16. The Mexicans registered a 2-0 win over Ecuador in the Round of 32 and have been one of the teams to not concede a single goal in the ongoing competition.ย
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