Kane's brace powers England past DR Congo into World Cup last 16

Harry Kane's two second-half goals secured England's progression to the World Cup Round of 16 with a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo. England will now face co-host Mexico in the next stage. The Three Lions were stunned by an early seventh-minute goal from DR Congo's Brian Cipenga, which marked their first-ever knockout-stage goal in World Cup history. However, Kane equalized in the 75th minute with a header from an Anthony Gordon cross and then sealed the win eleven minutes later with a powerful shot. "It feels amazing, honestly. A really crazy game," Kane said after the match. "First of all, we faced a tough, well-organized team." He noted that England found their rhythm after halftime, and despite the opposing goalkeeper's heroics, the team remained confident. "After the first halftime, we upped the level. Their keeper made some amazing saves. But we kept pushing because we knew the moment would come. Whoever the player is, there's always a moment of heroism," the Bayern Munich striker added. Kane emphasized that patience was key against DR Congo's organized defense, a pattern seen in England's previous matches. "The pressure is bigger, but the most important thing is to stay true to ourselves," he stated. "From an attacking perspective, this was our best performance so far." He also urged his teammates to savor the achievement. "Sometimes, as English players, we don't celebrate success as we should. Just like other countries, we've qualified. Enjoy it. For 90 minutes, we are a very difficult team to play against," Kane remarked. His brace made him the first England player to score two goals in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in the 1990 quarterfinals. Kane's 10 goals in 11 knockout-stage appearances since Euro 2020 are the most by any European player in that period.

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It feels amazing, honestly. A really crazy game. First of all, we faced a tough, well-organized team.