England End DR Congo’s Run to Reach World Cup Last 16

England booked a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after overcoming a spirited Democratic Republic of Congo side 2-1 in a keenly contested Round of 32 clash at the Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.

Harry Kane inspired the Three Lions’ comeback with a second-half brace after DR Congo stunned the European side with an early opener from Brian Cipenga.

The African side made a dream start when Cipenga fired home in the seventh minute, capitalising on England’s sluggish opening to put Sébastien Desabre’s men ahead. DR Congo nearly doubled their advantage before the break and defended resolutely as England struggled to find a breakthrough.

England, however, emerged a different side after the interval and eventually found the equaliser through captain Harry Kane in the 75th minute. The prolific striker struck again 11 minutes later to complete the turnaround and send Thomas Tuchel’s side into the next round.

The victory keeps alive England’s quest for a second World Cup title, 60 years after lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.

England had progressed from Group L as winners after opening their campaign with a victory over Croatia, playing out a goalless draw against Ghana before sealing qualification with another win over Panama. The Three Lions entered the knockout phase unbeaten under Tuchel and extended that run with Wednesday’s comeback victory.

For DR Congo, the defeat brought an end to one of the tournament’s biggest success stories.

Making their first World Cup appearance since 1974 when the country was known as Zaire, the Leopards defied expectations by advancing from a difficult Group K that included Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan. They drew with Portugal, suffered a narrow defeat to Colombia and secured qualification with an impressive victory over Uzbekistan to reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

The Congolese had already earned admiration long before facing England after knocking Nigeria out during the intercontinental play-offs to qualify for the World Cup. They defeated the Super Eagles 4-3 on penalties after a hard-fought contest, ending Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the global showpiece.

Despite their exit, DR Congo leave the tournament with enhanced reputation after proving capable of competing with some of football’s established nations.

England’s reward for Wednesday’s victory is a Round of 16 showdown against Mexico, who defeated Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday to secure their own passage into the last 16. The winner of that encounter will advance to the quarter-finals.

For Tuchel’s men, the focus now shifts to overcoming the hosts of Group A, while DR Congo return home with plenty of pride after a campaign that revived memories of their only previous World Cup appearance more than five decades ago.