England beat DR Congo 2-1 in World Cup round of 32
England defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in a World Cup round of 32 match, with Harry Kane scoring twice in the last 15 minutes to advance to the last 16.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
England survived a major scare to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in their World Cup round of 32 match in Atlanta, advancing to the last 16 thanks to two late goals from captain Harry Kane.
The match started disastrously for England. After just seven minutes, DR Congo took the lead when Brian Sipenga fired past Jordan Pickford at his near post, catching the England defence out of position. The underdogs, appearing in the knockout stage for the first time in their history, nearly doubled their lead when Newcastle striker Johan Wisser hit the woodwork from close range.
England struggled to create clear chances in the first half. Harry Kane had a penalty appeal turned down after contact with the Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Npassi, who was outstanding throughout. Npassi made several saves to keep England at bay after the break, and the crowd grew increasingly anxious as the clock ticked down.
With 15 minutes remaining, England finally found a breakthrough. Anthony Gordon crossed the ball back across the box and Kane headed in to equalise. Then, with just minutes left, Kane struck again, firing home to complete the comeback and send England through.
The victory means England will face Mexico in Mexico City in the last 16, a daunting prospect against the co-hosts. Manager Thomas Tuchel had warned before the match that his team could not afford to be complacent, having seen Germany and the Netherlands eliminated earlier in the knockout phase. England had laboured through the group stage, failing to impress against Ghana and Panama, and the performance against DR Congo again raised questions about their ability to break down deep-lying defences.
Fans in England celebrated wildly, with many watching the earlier kickoff time of 5pm for the first time in the tournament, allowing children to stay up. In Stourbridge, the hometown of Jude Bellingham, families gathered to watch. In Nottingham and other fan zones, relief turned to jubilation as Kane's goals went in.
DR Congo, ranked 41st in the world, had already made history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time since 1974, when they competed as Zaire. Their coach expressed pride in the team's performance, and their fans, though few in number due to travel restrictions, were proud of the display.
England now face a tough test against Mexico, who have a formidable home record. The match will be played at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where England will need to improve significantly to progress further.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England will play Mexico in Mexico City in the last 16. | · | · | |||
| DR Congo scored through Brian Sipenga in the early minutes of the match. | · | · | · | ||
| DR Congo last appeared at the World Cup in 1974 when they competed as Zaire. | · | · | · | · | |
| DR Congo players with Premier League experience include Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Thun-Zebi, and Johan Wisser. | · | · | · | · | |
| England were without right-backs Reece James and Jerrel Kwanza due to injury. | · | · | · | · | |
| England's group stage performances raised questions about their ability to beat lower-ranked opponents. | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry Kane equalised with a header from Anthony Gordon's cross. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused heavily on the pre-match build-up, the threat of an upset, and the nervousness among England fans after Germany and the Netherlands were eliminated. The tone was cautious, highlighting England's poor group stage performances and the danger posed by DR Congo's Premier League players. The report also noted the lack of Congolese fans due to travel restrictions.
- “Narrow margins, it's just like tight football matches and it helps us not to over-expect, it helps to put it in the right framework what is happening in this World Cup and in World Football.”
- “You've got to be prepared for anything. You know, not all football now, anything can happen and, you know, for us as England, we want to win in 90 minutes but if it takes 120, if it takes penalties, we're prepared, we've done all the training and we're ready for the game.”
This channel gave only a brief mention of the match, sandwiched between energy price cap news and an obituary. The coverage was minimal, with no analysis or detail beyond the kickoff time and location. It did not report the result, as the broadcast was before the match.
- “Tension is building ahead of England's all-important must-win World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo tonight. The three lions kick off at five o'clock in Atlanta.”
BBC One West provided extensive pre-match and post-match coverage, including a detailed report from inside the Atlanta stadium, fan reactions from Stourbridge, and analysis of England's defensive injuries. The tone was balanced, acknowledging England's struggles but highlighting the importance of Kane's heroics. The post-match segment included a live interview with the England captain.
- “There is no percent of overconfidence in how we approach this game. The game so far in round of 32 speak a very clear language. It's narrow, narrow margins.”
- “It was amazing, to be honest. Yeah, what a crazy game, obviously. And it was just about pounding the rock, keep pounding the rock. And our moments will come.”
ITV1's coverage was dramatic and emotional, focusing on the 'horror show' of England's early goal conceded and the 'ignominious exit' that was avoided. The tone was critical of England's performance but celebratory of Kane's rescue. The evening news included live updates from the stadium and fan reactions from Bromsgrove, capturing the tension and relief.
- “It could not have been a worse start after they ran out against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta, knowing this was win or bust. And after just six minutes, thanks to a defensive horror show, they were behind.”
- “England's saviour, yet again!”
Channel 4 focused on the emotional rollercoaster for fans, both in Atlanta and in Nottingham. The report included interviews with relieved England fans and a proud Congolese supporter. The tone was lively and human-interest driven, highlighting the contrast between early despair and late euphoria. The analysis was less tactical and more about the atmosphere.
- “England know how to make it difficult, don't they, Krish? From the seventh minute when the Democratic Republic of Congo scored that goal, it was all quiet, but by the end, those two amazing goals by Harry Kane.”
- “I'm not disappointed, I'm very proud of my country, we came so far and we didn't win, but we showed the world what we can do and I'm very proud of them at the end of the day.”
GB News covered the match briefly as part of a news roundup, focusing on the result and a social media post from David Beckham. The tone was celebratory but brief, with the panel discussion shifting quickly to other topics. The channel did not provide detailed match analysis or pre-match build-up.
- “And it was Harry Kane to the rescue as he saved England from a World Cup exit to DR Congo today. After conceding in just seven minutes captain Harry Kane scored twice in the last 15 minutes of the game to give the three lines that 2-1 victory.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.