Harry Kane inspired England’s comeback against DR Congo while Belgium stunned Senegal with a dramatic extra-time turnaround, setting up thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 last-16 clashes ahead.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
England and Belgium survived major scares at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Wednesday night, producing dramatic comebacks in two thrilling Round of 32 encounters that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Captain Harry Kane once again proved to be England’s savior, scoring twice to rescue the England national football team from an early shock against the DR Congo national football team and seal a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
The African side stunned England inside seven minutes in Atlanta when Brian Cipenga capitalized on defensive confusion to beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at the near post.
Playing in their first-ever World Cup knockout match, DR Congo frustrated England with disciplined defending and outstanding goalkeeping from Lionel Mpasi, who repeatedly denied Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.
England dominated possession but struggled to break through, while Rashford also saw a goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Kane was later denied a penalty after appearing to be clipped inside the box.
With pressure mounting, England manager Thomas Tuchel made decisive substitutions that transformed the game.
Substitute Anthony Gordon delivered a perfect cross in the 75th minute, allowing Kane to power home a header and bring England level.
The England captain completed the turnaround four minutes from time, smashing a powerful strike into the roof of the net to send England into the Round of 16.
The goals lifted Kane’s World Cup tally to 13, moving him ahead of Brazilian legend Pelé and strengthening his Ballon d’Or credentials.
England will now face the co-hosts, the Mexico national football team, at the iconic Estadio Azteca in a blockbuster last-16 showdown.
“Difficult matches, close matches — Harry’s here to decide them,” Tuchel said after the match.
Kane described the dramatic victory as “crazy” and praised England’s persistence against a resilient DR Congo side.
Meanwhile, the Belgium national football team produced one of the tournament’s most dramatic turnarounds to defeat the Senegal national football team 3-2 after extra time.
Senegal looked set for a famous victory after Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr gave them a commanding 2-0 lead heading into the final minutes.
Diarra opened the scoring in the 25th minute after reacting quickest to a rebound, while Sarr doubled the advantage early in the second half with a brilliant finish after bursting through Belgium’s defense.
Belgium struggled despite boasting stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, both of whom were substituted in the 56th minute as manager Domenico Tedesco searched desperately for solutions.
The comeback finally began in the 86th minute when substitute Romelu Lukaku guided Belgium’s first shot on target into the net.
Just minutes later, Youri Tielemans headed home from Leandro Trossard’s cross to dramatically force extra time.
The controversy arrived in the 117th minute when Tielemans went down following contact from Senegal’s Lamine Camara. After a lengthy seven-minute VAR review, the referee awarded Belgium a penalty.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville described the decision as “very harsh,” while Roy Keane questioned the delay during the review process.
Tielemans kept his composure amid the chaos, converting the decisive penalty in the 125th minute — officially the latest goal scored in World Cup history — to complete Belgium’s extraordinary comeback.
Belgium will now face the United States men’s national soccer team in Seattle as FIFA World Cup 2026 continues to deliver unforgettable drama and late-night football chaos.
