England captain Harry Kane scored twice and Belgium beat Senegal with a last-minute penalty as both sides joined the United States in the last 16 of the World Cup.
England left it late as they relied on their all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane to score twice in a 2-1 win over DR Congo in Atlanta.
DR Congo’s Brian Cipenga fired the underdogs ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, silencing the England-dominated crowd.
The worries grew for superstitious Three Lions fans, with England having not trailed at any point in the tournament until then, nor ever won a World Cup game after trailing at half-time.
Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi kept DR Congo in the game until Kane headed in an equaliser in the 75th minute.
Four minutes from time, Kane struck again to secure England’s place in the last 16.
"This game and the next one are two difficult games for different reasons. But we're in the part of the tournament where you have to grind wins out," Kane said.
England will play Mexico next at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a venue famous for its high altitude.
Youri Tielemans slotted home a 125th-minute penalty as Belgium produced a sensational comeback from two goals down to beat Senegal in a dramatic last-32 World Cup tie.
Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had given Senegal a deserved 2-0 lead, and they looked to be cruising into the next round before Belgium scored twice in the final four minutes through Romelu Lukaku and a Tielemans header to force extra time.
Then came the drama.
Senegal's Lamine Camara conceded the penalty after sliding in on Tielemans as the ball flashed across the face of goal, with the decision awarded following a VAR review.
Lukaku looked set to take the penalty but handed the ball to captain Tielemans at the last moment.
"We talked for a while. Romelu said, 'take it'. And I was ready to take it," Tielemans told reporters after the game.
U.S. striker Folarin Balogun continued his impressive World Cup form as his side beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in California.
After having a goal ruled out for offside, Balogun opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with his third goal of the tournament before celebrating with LeBron James's iconic celebration.
Balogun's night then took a dramatic turn. As he challenged Bosnia's Tarik Muharemović for the ball, a tangle of legs resulted in the U.S. forward standing on his opponent's ankle. Following a VAR review, the referee showed Balogun a red card.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, the U.S. sealed victory when Malik Tillman curled in a superb free-kick eight minutes from time.
The U.S. will now face Belgium in the last 16.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump threatens a heavy strike on the suspected Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Tehran warns that any attack could trigger a wider regional escalation.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed regional developments, transport connectivity, energy cooperation and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process during talks in Berlin.
Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on more than one occasion. The French forward won the award presented to the top goalscorer of the tournament for the second time, despite France being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Spain are world champions for the second time after Ferran Torres' extra-time winner secured a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
France star Kylian Mbappé became the leading goalscorer in men’s World Cup history after scoring twice in his side’s 6-4 defeat by England in the third-place play-off.
Lionel Messi's Argentina face Spain in World Cup final with history on the line. Spain and Argentina meet on Sunday in the 2026 World Cup final, bringing together the reigning champions of Europe and South America.
France coach Didier Deschamps took responsibility for his team's "unacceptable" first-half collapse in a 6-4 defeat to England on Saturday, bringing his 14-year reign as France coach to an end.
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