Harry Kane scored two goals after the 70th minute to pull England out of a funk and lift the Three Lions to a 2-1 defeat of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the World Cup round of 32 Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta.
England played from behind most of the match as Brian Cipenga put DR Congo ahead with a seventh-minute goal before Kane found the equalizer on a headed goal in the 75th minute.
Eleven minutes later, Kane scored his 13th career World Cup goal — three more than any other England player — taking a pass at the top of the penalty box and unleashing a magnificent running shot into the upper-right corner of the net.
The game-winner sets England up for a round of 16 clash vs. Mexico at Mexico City on Sunday.
Kane’s fifth goal of this year’s tournament, off an assist from Anthony Gordon, moved him into a tie for third with Norway’s Erling Haaland on the Golden Boot leaderboard, one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe.
Wednesday’s match was the first time since the 1966 World Cup championship that England won a World Cup Finals match after conceding first, improving their record in such situations to 2-17-5.
DR Congo took its early lead when Cipenga found the net for his first international goal. Chancel Mbemba uncorked a lofted pass that bounced in the box past a pair of players. Cipenga was wide open and ripped a shot past Jordan Pickford inside the near post.
England responded with a rush of chances in pursuit of the tying goal. DR Congo keeper Lionel Mpasi (five saves) stood on his head to keep the Leopards ahead at the break.
He made a pair of reflex saves on close-range Jude Bellingham headers and another in the closing seconds of the half on a proximity rocket of a shot from Kane.
He also got a 35th-minute assist from defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who cleared Marcus Rashford’s shot off the line attacking an open net.
DR Congo nearly made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute when Yoane Wissa hit the post off a pinpoint cross. Immediately after, Kane was denied a penalty appeal after he appeared to be brought down by Mpasi in the box.
England managed just one shot on goal in the second half until Kane’s first goal.
DR Congo’s final chance, a close-range free kick from Wissa in the sixth minute of stoppage time, floated just over the bar.
