England narrowly avoided what would have been "the most humiliating defeat in its history" as Harry Kane exploded with multiple goals, securing a 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo.

*This content was translated by AI.

The England national football team, aiming for its first World Cup title in 60 years, has advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Harry Kane of Bayern Munich scored consecutive goals in the 30th minute of the second half, when the team was on the verge of defeat, narrowly saving English football.

England, led by German coach Thomas Tuchel, secured a 2-1 comeback victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 32 match held at Atlanta Stadium in the United States on the 2nd (Korean time). FIFA rankings place England at 4th and the Democratic Republic of Congo at 46th. With this victory, England has advanced to the Round of 16 and will face host nation Mexico in the Quarterfinals on the 6th.

It was truly a nail-biting victory. England suffered a "one-hit" blow from the Democratic Republic of Congo just seven minutes into the first half. Brian Sipenga of Almeria received the ball on the left side of the penalty box and connected with a powerful right-footed shot, opening the English goal. The first shot of both teams on the day directly resulted in a goal, and it was the Democratic Republic of Congo, not England, that scored.

Thereafter, the Democratic Republic of Congo focused on defense and began to hold on early. England's first shot of the day did not come until the 30th minute of the first half. Although they began to aggressively press the opponent afterward, England failed to equalize in the first half. In fact, they faced a crisis of conceding another goal just before the end of the first half and were saved only by the goalpost.

England opened the scoring with a shot by Marcus Rashford of Barcelona in the second half and continued their onslaught. In the 15th minute of the second half, they introduced Anthony Gordon of Barcelona and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal to create changes on the flanks.

The player who broke the frustrating flow of England was the "problem solver" Kane. In the 30th minute of the second half, he connected with a powerful header to a cross from Gordon, who had advanced from the left flank, finally scoring the equalizer. Then, in the 41st minute of the second half, Kane himself turned the match around. As he penetrated the right side of the penalty box with three defenders in front of him, he shook the opponent's net with a powerful right-footed shot. Kane's consecutive goals led to England's 2-1 comeback victory and their advancement to the Round of 16.

British public broadcaster BBC, immediately after the match, stated, "England narrowly avoided a crisis that could have been one of the most humiliating defeats in its football history. In a situation where a shocking defeat was looming, Kane stepped in as the problem solver, scoring the equalizer and the winning comeback goal." It further highlighted, "At a moment when manager Tuchel and the Football Association (FA) needed a hero, Kane proved directly that a world-class player creates decisive moments himself."

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*This content was translated by AI.