England were seconds away from one of the most embarrassing exits in their footballing history. Down 1-0, struggling to break down a DR Congo side that had no business making them look this bad, booed by their own fans in a sweltering Atlanta — and yet, somehow, Harry Kane had other plans.
Final score: England 2-1 DR Congo. But don’t let that scoreline fool you. This was anything but comfortable.
DR Congo drew first blood in the seventh minute — barely enough time for England fans to settle into their seats. A long ball from Mbemba looped over a poorly-positioned Spence, and Brian Cipenga did the rest, jinking in before slamming a low finish past Pickford at his near post.
Just like that, the Leopards were ahead. And in case you forgot — this was DR Congo’s first-ever knockout match at a World Cup. They were making history, and England were helping them do it.
What followed was painful viewing for Three Lions supporters. Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford went scything at Congolese legs when they lost the ball. The fans booed. England looked disorganized, panicked, and completely lacking in ideas. Wingers Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford offered little, while England looked shaky defensively every time DR Congo came forward.
Then came the moment that could have ended it all. Yoane Wissa got clean through and should have made it 2-0 — but he struck the right post. One inch to the right, and English Twitter would have melted into the ground. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, meanwhile, was having the game of his life at the other end — repeatedly turning away chance after England chance with breathtaking stops. The Bayern Munich captain Kane captained England for a record-equaling 90th time, and even he couldn’t find a way through early on.
Half-time came. Tuchel gathered his troops. And England came out a different team.
Fifteen minutes from what would have been one of the great humiliations of English footballing history, a combination of Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon gave their captain the sort of opening he only needs once.
Kane found the equaliser in the 75th minute — and England could breathe again. Barely.
But Kane wasn’t done. In the dying minutes, Gordon set up Kane to surge into the right of the box and smash into the roof of the net — the 86th minute, the coldest of finishes, and England were through. Kane moved past Pelé with his 12th and 13th goals at World Cup finals. The man is simply otherworldly.
It was the first time England had won a World Cup game after conceding the first goal since the 1966 World Cup final. Sixty years. That’s how long it took. And it required a captain-level performance to make it happen.
As for DR Congo? They leave this tournament with their heads held high. They scored their first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal, they made one of the tournament’s big names sweat bullets, and Lionel Mpasi announced himself to the world. The Leopards came to roar — and they did exactly that.
Next up for England? A daunting trip to face Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca in the round of 16. After this performance, nothing is guaranteed. But then again — they have Harry Kane. And right now, that might just be enough.
Man of the Match: Harry Kane
