Harry Kane is England's hero in the match against DR Congo at the 2026 World Cup

England started the 2026 World Cup with a 4-2 win against Croatia, but subsequent matches against Ghana (0-0) and Panama (2-0) did not bring the expected confidence. The Three Lions also had problems in the first match of the knockout stage. Already in the seventh minute of the match against DR Congo, they lost a goal after a shot by Brian Cipenga, who beat Jordan Pickford. After this goal, DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi became his team's hero, saving dangerous shots from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. Even though Mpasi appeared to foul Kane in the penalty area, referee Adham Makhadmeh of Jordan did not whistle a penalty and VAR did not intervene. Only after changes made by coach Thomas Tuchel did England start to make up for the losses. Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze entered the pitch, which revitalized the team's play. In the 75th minute, Gordon passed the ball to Kane, who headed in the equalizer.  Late in the match, in the 86th minute, Kane was back in the spotlight. After Bellingham's shot was saved by Mpasi, the ball went to Gordon, who passed it to Kane. The Bayern Munich striker ruthlessly put the ball into the net, giving England a 2-1 victory. At the end of the match, England controlled the situation on the pitch, eliminating DR Congo from the tournament. In the round of 16, England will face Mexico, the tournament host, in a match that will take place on July 5 at 2:00 a.m. Polish time at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Desire Doué onderstreept kracht van Franse aanval voor WK 2026](https://oranjenet.live/nl/news/desire-doue-onderstreept-kracht-van-franse-aanval-voor-wk-2026) 2. [Risico's van extreme hitte tijdens het WK 2026](https://oranjenet.live/nl/news/risicos-van-extreme-hitte-tijdens-het-wk-2026)