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Harry Kane’s late brace rescued England from a stunning World Cup upset against DR Congo in Atlanta, while Belgium came from 2-0 down to beat Senegal 3-2 in extra time in Seattle on the same dramatic night. Kane’s second goal moved him to 13 career World Cup goals, passing Pelé into joint sixth on the all-time list.
Tuesday was a night of white-knuckled escapes and last-gasp heroics at the 2026 World Cup. While England needed their captain to drag them from the brink of the greatest humiliation in their modern history, Belgium needed a seventh minute of extra time and a VAR intervention to deny Senegal a mention in history books. Late goals decided both — and when the dust settled, two of Europe’s heavyweights were still standing, bruised and barely breathing, but through to the Round of 16.
Atlanta & Seattle: It was the night the tournament’s older powers were tested to their very limits — and the night Harry Kane reminded the world, once again, why England still believe.
England 2-1 DR Congo — Harry Kane Writes History, Again
England were a shambles. For 75 minutes in the sweltering Georgia heat, Thomas Tuchel’s side were booed by their own fans, outfought by a DR Congo team making their first-ever World Cup knockout appearance, and trailing to a Brian Cipenga strike from the seventh minute — a goal so avoidable, so deflating, that it threatened to define an entire tournament campaign in a single moment.
Then came the hydration breaks. Then came the substitutes. Then came Kane.
Anthony Gordon, introduced from the bench, collected Declan Rice’s overhit cross and dinked it back across goal. Kane arrived at pace, escaped Axel Tuanzebe’s attention and headed home to level the scores with 15 minutes remaining — his 12th World Cup goal. Eleven minutes later, Gordon found him again on the edge of the box. Three defenders closed in. None of them stopped him. Kane turned and drove the ball high into the roof of the net. 2-1. England through.
The goal moved Kane to 13 World Cup goals in total — tying Just Fontaine and passing Pelé to move into joint sixth on the all-time World Cup scoring list. It was also the 20th goal of his career in major tournaments, and it came on a night when England registered their first-ever World Cup victory having conceded the first goal and trailed at half-time — only the second time they have come from behind to win a World Cup knockout game, the first being the 1966 final itself. The weight of that 60-year history sat on Kane’s shoulders all night. He carried it, as he always does, with authority.
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Jude Bellingham, who had already called Kane “England’s greatest ever player” after the group stage, looked across the Atlanta pitch at his captain and said nothing. He didn’t need to. England face Mexico at the Azteca in the Round of 16. They will need to be considerably better. But they have Kane. And on nights like these, that is enough.
Belgium 3-2 Senegal (AET) — From the Abyss, Tielemans Delivers
If England’s escape was dramatic, Belgium’s was theatre. At Seattle Stadium on the same evening, the Red Devils — winners of Group G and built around Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and a squad assembled over the longest golden generation in European football — were being systematically dismantled by a Senegal side with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Habib Diarra struck in the 24th minute, Ismaïla Sarr doubled the lead before the hour, and Belgium — for whom this tournament represents the final World Cup chapter of their storied generation — were staring at a group-stage humiliation replayed on a knockout stage. Head coach Rudi Garcia, facing elimination with 20 minutes left, took the audacious decision to withdraw both De Bruyne and Doku simultaneously. It was the kind of call that ends coaching careers, or defines them.
It defined Garcia’s night. Belgium came to life. Lukaku — who had spent the week before the match deflecting criticism about his finishing and his role in the team — pulled one back with a header in the 82nd minute. Four minutes later, with Senegal seconds from the Round of 16, Youri Tielemans bundled in an equaliser to send the match to extra time. Senegal were stunned, incensed, running on empty.
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In the 125th minute, with penalties looming, a VAR review awarded Belgium a spot-kick after a foul on Tielemans. What followed was seven extraordinary minutes of Senegalese fury — players surrounding monitors, a Belgian player lying on the spot to prevent disruption, a stadium crackling with noise. Then Tielemans stepped up, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, and Belgium were through 3-2.
The comeback extended Belgium’s record against African nations to five wins in six World Cup meetings. It also, perhaps, offered the last great night for a generation — De Bruyne, Lukaku, Carrasco — who have spent a decade being called the golden generation that never delivered. They have one more shot at proving everyone wrong. They face the winner of USA vs Bosnia in the Round of 16.
Two nights, two nations pulled from the edge. The World Cup, as ever, had the final word.
Results — 2026 FIFA World Cup | Round of 32
England beat DR Congo 2-1: Brian Cipenga 7′ (COD) | Harry Kane 75′, 86′ (ENG)
Belgium def Senegal 3-2 (AET): Habib Diarra 24′, Ismaïla Sarr 58′ (SEN) | Lukaku 82′, Tielemans 86′, Tielemans pen. 125′ (BEL)
Next: England vs Mexico (Azteca, July 5) | Belgium vs USA or Bosnia (Round of 16)
