England survived a major World Cup scare after captain Harry Kane scored twice to inspire a dramatic comeback victory over DR Congo and book a place in the Round of 16, where they will face co-hosts Mexico.
Thomas Tuchel’s side endured another shaky defensive display and were forced to come from behind after Brian Cipenga stunned the Three Lions with an early opener in Atlanta.
England looked vulnerable throughout the first half, but Kane once again delivered when it mattered most, heading home Anthony Gordon’s cross before firing the winner to keep England’s World Cup hopes alive.
Player Ratings
Jordan Pickford – 5/10
A nightmare start as he was beaten at his near post by Cipenga’s opener. Failed to inspire confidence.
Djed Spence – 5/10
Caught out of position for DR Congo’s goal and struggled defensively before improving after the break.
Ezri Konsa – 5/10
Part of an England defence that continues to look unsettled. Missed a good chance to score.
Marc Guehi – 5/10
Usually dependable but looked unusually uncertain as England’s defensive problems resurfaced.
Nico O’Reilly – 5/10
Still adapting to the international stage. Showed promise but endured a difficult evening.
Elliot Anderson – 6/10
Covered huge areas in midfield and improved significantly after half-time.
Declan Rice – 7/10
Stepped up when England needed leadership. His set-piece delivery remained a constant threat before moving to right-back late on.
Jude Bellingham – 6/10
Worked tirelessly to lift England but was unable to influence the game as much as he would have liked.
Noni Madueke – 5/10
Full of energy but lacked the final ball. Replaced in the second half.
Marcus Rashford – 5/10
Showed flashes of quality without making a decisive impact before being substituted.
Harry Kane – 9/10
England’s saviour once again. Two clinical goals underlined why he remains the team’s most important player.
Substitutes
Anthony Gordon – 8/10
Changed the game with two superb assists for Kane.
Bukayo Saka – 7/10
Added composure and attacking quality down the right.
Eberechi Eze – 7/10
Injected creativity as England chased the game and played a key role in the comeback.
John Stones – 5/10
Late substitute who helped see out the victory.
Mbappe Breaks Another World Cup Record as France Continue Relentless March
Kylian Mbappe continued rewriting World Cup history after another dazzling performance helped France cruise into the Round of 16 with a 3-0 victory over Sweden.
The French superstar scored twice to move level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the Golden Boot race while setting several new World Cup records.
Mbappe’s remarkable numbers
- 18 World Cup goals, overtaking Brazilian legend Ronaldo to become the second-highest men’s scorer in tournament history. Only Lionel Messi (19) has scored more.
- 10 knockout-stage goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s previous record.
- Seven career multi-goal World Cup matches, the most by any player.
- Four multi-goal knockout matches, twice as many as any other player.
- 22 World Cup goal contributions (18 goals, four assists), moving past Pelé into second place behind Messi’s 27.
Michael Olise also continued his outstanding tournament, providing two assists to move onto five assists, leaving him just one behind Pelé’s record of six in a single World Cup.
France continue to set records
- First team in World Cup history to score three or more goals in five consecutive matches.
- First nation to win seven successive World Cup matches against European opposition.
- Didier Deschamps recorded his ninth World Cup knockout victory, the most by any coach.
- France registered 12 shots on target and 25 attempts, highlighting their attacking dominance.
With Mbappe in sensational form and France producing relentless attacking football, Les Bleus have strengthened their position as favourites to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy.
