Advertisement
World Cup: Kane praises England teammates after late heroics against DR Congo
02nd July, 2026 07:20 AM
England skipper Harry Kane has spoken out about his side’s incredible comeback against DR Congo that secured their World Cup progression on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in a thrilling encounter in Atlanta.
The Three Lions battled late on to edge DR Congo 2-1 to storm the competition’s round of 16, with the skipper coming in clutch to complete a second-half brace and lift Thomas Tuchel’s team past the hard-fighting African nation.
Kane powered home a bullet header to level matters with only 15 minutes left on the clock, cancelling out Brian Cipenga’s opening goal inside the first ten minutes.
The Bayern Munich ace then spared England’s blushes in Atlanta late in the game, unleashing a scorcher to stun Sébastien Desabre’s team and notch his fifth goal of the tournament in North America.
Being ourselves
“It feels amazing to be honest. What a crazy game. They are a tough team and dangerous on the counter-attacks, but after that first break, we were much better,” Kane said. “
We spoke all week about just being ourselves. There are still things to work on for sure, and these knockout rounds are just about getting through. We are at the stage of the tournament where you have to grind wins out, and that is exactly what we did today.”
The England captain also praised the goalkeeping heroics of Lionel Mpasi, the DR Congo custodian who pulled off a number of outstanding saves as the Three Lions repeatedly knocked on the door trying to get back into the game.
“I thought we played well in some spells. Their keeper made some strong saves, and we started feeling like it might be one of those days,” the captain reflected. “But that is why I am always proud of the boys and myself. We kept the belief and stuck to the right areas, knowing one of us would have a hero moment—and it could be anyone. It just happened to be me today.”
Substitutes’ impact
With qualification sealed in battling fashion, Kane emphasized that advancing was the most important thing while also hailing the impact of the players coming off the bench.
“We are the same as every other nation. We are through, so we should enjoy it. I want the boys to enjoy it with the fans, and then we’ll go again in four days.”
“We spoke after the Croatia game about the substitutes making an impact, and you saw that again today. Over 90 minutes, we are tough to handle. I am pleased for everyone involved, and hopefully, we will keep this momentum going.”
England will now face off against Mexico in Azteca Stadium on Sunday, July 5, 2026.
