Harry Kane's Late Double Saves England as Belgium and USA Seal World Cup Last-16 Spots

Posted : 02 July 2026

Harry Kane delivered a dramatic late rescue act as England came from behind to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 and secure a place in the FIFA World Cup last 16. On another action-packed day of the tournament, co-hosts the United States also progressed with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Belgium produced a remarkable comeback to eliminate Senegal in extra time.

England appeared to be heading for one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after DR Congo took an early lead through Brian Cipenga in the seventh minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Three Lions struggled to break down their resilient opponents until captain Kane rose to head home the equaliser in the 75th minute. Eleven minutes later, the striker completed the turnaround with a powerful finish to send England into the knockout stage.

Reflecting on his match-winning display, Kane said the team had spoken about players stepping up in decisive moments. He described his goals as his own "hero moment" and praised the collective effort that kept England's World Cup hopes alive.

England manager Thomas Tuchel praised his players' determination, saying they refused to accept defeat despite trailing for most of the contest. He commended the team's resilience and believed their persistence earned a deserved victory, even if it arrived late. England will now travel to Mexico City for a challenging last-16 encounter against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.

Belgium produced an even more dramatic escape in Seattle, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Senegal 3-2 after extra time. Senegal looked set to advance after Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the first half before Ismaila Sarr doubled the advantage shortly after the restart.

Belgium's revival began when substitute Romelu Lukaku reduced the deficit in the closing minutes of normal time. Youri Tielemans then headed in a late equaliser to force extra time. With penalties looming, Belgium were awarded a controversial spot-kick following a lengthy VAR review after Tielemans was brought down in the box. The midfielder converted the decisive penalty deep into stoppage time at the end of extra time, completing an extraordinary comeback and sending Belgium into the next round.

Belgium's reward is a last-16 meeting with the United States, who secured a historic 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara. The result marked the Americans' first World Cup knockout win in nearly 25 years and only the second in the nation's history.

The USA dominated the opening half and took the lead just before the break through Folarin Balogun. However, their task became more difficult early in the second half when Balogun received a red card for an accidental stamp on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic.

Despite playing with 10 men, Mauricio Pochettino's side defended resolutely and sealed the victory when Malik Tillman curled home a superb free-kick. USA captain Christian Pulisic praised his teammates' resilience, saying they had to dig deep after the sending-off and that the performance demonstrated the team's growing strength and character.

The trio of victories sets up an intriguing knockout stage, with England preparing for a difficult test against Mexico, while Belgium and the United States face each other for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Harry Kane's Late Double Saves England as Belgium and USA Seal World Cup Last-16 Spots

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