England narrowly escaped elimination today after a hard-fought 2-1 win over DR Congo at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, USA, in the Round of 32 of the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
DR Congo was a stubborn and tough opponent and came very close to qualifying. They held the lead from the start of the match until the middle of the second half, then England woke up, realizing they were on the verge of exiting the tournament, and star striker Harry Kane brought them back with a brilliant brace.
Match Highlights and Goals
England was shocked by the strong level DR Congo started the game with. They pressed and attacked right from the kickoff, managing to open the scoring in the 7th minute through Brian Sibynga.
DR Congo held onto the lead and finished the first half ahead. They didn't just sit back and defend, they faced England directly, ignoring any differences in quality or big names. However, England manager Thomas Tuchel decided to go all in and after the 70th minute, the team showed a completely different face.
They managed to score the equalizer through a great header by Harry Kane in the 75th minute. Kane then came back to score the winning goal with a brilliant shot in the 86th minute.
With this result, England goes through to the Round of 16 to face co-hosts Mexico next Monday at the Seattle stadium in the USA.
