Thomas Tuchel’s side looked set for a major World Cup upset after Brian Cipenga’s early goal gave DR Congo a deserved lead in Atlanta.
Instead, England’s captain once again delivered when it mattered most. Kane struck twice in the final 15 minutes to complete the turnaround and send England into a last-16 meeting with co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
England had topped Group L without defeat, but they were rocked early on when former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba’s long pass found Cipenga after Djed Spence failed to deal with the danger. The winger cut inside and beat Jordan Pickford with a low effort at the goalkeeper’s near post.
The Leopards, playing in the first World Cup knockout match in their history after progressing as the tournament’s best third-placed side, nearly doubled their advantage before halftime. Yoane Wissa turned Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross onto the post from close range, while England struggled to create sustained pressure.
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Jude Bellingham twice went close with headers that were brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, and Kane was denied from point-blank range before also seeing penalty appeals waved away after going down under a challenge from the DR Congo keeper.
England improved after the break but still lacked fluency. Marcus Rashford drove into the box and fired into the side-netting, while Mpasi and his defenders continued to frustrate Tuchel’s men. DR Congo remained a threat on the counterattack, with Nathanael Mbuku forcing another important intervention from the England defence.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 75th minute. Substitute Anthony Gordon made an immediate impact, collecting a cross and delivering an inviting ball back into the area for Kane, who rose above his marker to head beyond Mpasi and level the scores.
The equaliser changed the momentum entirely, and England completed the comeback four minutes from time. Bellingham’s effort was initially saved, but Gordon reacted quickest to keep the attack alive before feeding Kane, who surged into the box and hammered an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net.
Kane’s brace took his World Cup tally to 13 goals, moving him past Brazilian great Pelé and taking his total to 20 goals in major tournaments and 84 for England.
While the victory preserved England’s hopes of ending their long wait for World Cup glory, the performance exposed familiar shortcomings. Tuchel’s side struggled for long periods against disciplined opposition and were once again heavily reliant on their captain’s brilliance.
On a night when England flirted with disaster, Kane once more proved to be their saviour, ensuring their World Cup dream remains alive and setting up a mouth-watering clash with Mexico in the next round.