England vs DR Congo

Congo DR stunned England inside the opening seven minutes. Chancel Mbemba's long switch of play from deep found the Almeria winger Cipenga unmarked on the left side of the box, and he fired low past Jordan Pickford to give the Leopards a scarcely-believable lead.

England responded by dominating possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances. Ezri Konsa could not turn Declan Rice's cross on target (25'), and Jude Bellingham saw a header well saved by Lionel Mpasi-Nzau (28'). Noni Madueke created an opportunity for Marcus Rashford, whose shot was bravely blocked off the line by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Congo DR came inches from doubling their lead just before half-time when Yoane Wissa hit the post from inside the six-yard box. Seconds later, Kane raced through and went down under contact from Mpasi-Nzau, but penalty claims were waved away. The goalkeeper then produced a smart save to deny Bellingham for a second time, and saved a Kane volley from a corner on the stroke of half-time to keep his side ahead at the break.

Tuchel introduced Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka at the hour mark, switching to a more direct attacking approach. But it was a moment of quality from the same pair that finally unlocked Congo DR's resistance. With 15 minutes remaining, Rice found Gordon on the left flank, and his chipped cross was met by Kane, who nodded home from close range to level the scores at 1-1.

Four minutes from time, Kane put England ahead with a moment of individual brilliance. Picking up the ball just inside the box, the captain thundered a shot into the top corner, leaving Mpasi-Nzau with no chance. Congo DR pushed for a late equaliser, with Wissa sending a free kick narrowly over the bar in stoppage time, but England held on.

Harry Kane (England) — Two goals in 11 second-half minutes, both from Anthony Gordon assists. His 75th-minute header was a poacher's finish; the 86th-minute winner was a striker's venomous strike into the top corner. Kane is now England's all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 11 goals.

Anthony Gordon (England) — Introduced as a 61st-minute substitute, Gordon provided both assists for Kane's goals, changing the game from the left flank with his crossing and direct running.

Brian Cipenga (Congo DR) — The Almeria winger scored a brilliant early goal and was a constant threat before being substituted on 76 minutes. He completed six dribbles against Uzbekistan in the group stage and carried that form into the knockout rounds.

Lionel Mpasi-Nzau (Congo DR) — The goalkeeper made several outstanding saves in the first half to deny Bellingham (twice) and Kane, keeping his side in the match until the final 15 minutes.

Player of the match: Harry Kane

England's dominance in possession (65.3% in the group stage, ranked 3rd) carried into this match, but Congo DR's compact defensive shape meant the Three Lions managed only a handful of clear chances in the first half. The xG disparity likely widened significantly in the second half after the introduction of Gordon and Saka, reflecting England's sustained pressure rather than any tactical shift from Congo DR. Kane's two goals came from a combined xG of roughly 0.5 — a testament to his finishing quality rather than overwhelming chance creation.

England advance to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday 6 July (kick-off 1am BST). The Three Lions remain unbeaten in competitive fixtures under Thomas Tuchel (W10 D1), extending the best start of any England manager since Ron Greenwood.

For Congo DR, this was their first-ever World Cup knockout stage appearance. Sebastien Desabre's side exit the tournament with their heads held high after pushing one of the tournament favourites to the limit.

England were second-best for large spells and relied on individual quality from their captain to escape a major upset. The performance raised familiar questions about slow starts and creativity against compact defences, but Tuchel's substitutions changed the game decisively. Congo DR can be proud of their tournament debut but will rue the missed chances — particularly Wissa's first-half post — that could have made history.

England: Pickford; Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Spence (Eze 70'), Rice (Stones 90+1'), Anderson, Bellingham; Madueke (Saka 61'), Rashford (Gordon 61'), Kane (c)

Congo DR: Mpasi-Nzau; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba (c), Batubinsika, Masuaku (Kayembe 89'); Sadiki, Moutoussamy (Mayele 89'); Cipenga (Bongonda 76'), Kayembe, Mbuku (Elia 64'); Wissa