Kane rescues England, Mexico await at altitude
Kane brace saves England from the brink against DR Congo
Harry Kane scored twice. England 2–1 DR Congo in the round of 32, and for 75 minutes your team looked like they were heading home (1) (4) (5).
Brian Cipenga gave Congo the lead and England had no answers. Then the hydration breaks came, and something shifted (17).
The equaliser arrived, then Kane's winner. Clinical. "From now on I'll call him Sir Harry Kane," Thierry Henry said afterwards (15). Thomas Tuchel had his own line: "They're all sharks. If they smell blood, they come and score" (6). Kane, Mbappe, Messi, Haaland, the elite finishers all operate the same way.
Mexico await in the last 16 on Sunday (4) (5) (6) (12) (16).
Rooney: England in "big trouble"
Wayne Rooney did not hold back. "For me there are big concerns. We are all delighted England have gone through, but in particular, when England lose the ball, they are so open" (4).
His verdict was blunt: if Tuchel does not fix it, England are going out (4).
Rice at right-back was Anthony Barry's idea
The move that changed the match. Declan Rice shifted to right-back and England found a foothold. Tuchel gave full credit to his assistant: "Anthony Barry had a brilliant idea... to put Declan there" (13).
Tuchel tells parents: let the kids stay up
England's last-16 tie against Mexico kicks off at 1am BST. Tuchel's message was simple, let the children watch (12).
The bigger problem is the venue. Azteca Stadium sits at altitude, and Tuchel said England have no time to adapt. He called it a "huge advantage" for co-hosts Mexico (14).
DR Congo coach mourns his father
Sébastien Desabre, DR Congo's manager, learned of his father's death after the final whistle. The news was delivered to him following the narrow defeat to England (2) (10).
Fan-reaktioner
The hydration breaks are the talk of Reddit. Fans are debating whether the pause in play genuinely swung the momentum, some see it as a turning point, others think it is being overplayed. The Desabre news has also drawn an outpouring of sympathy across match threads. Read more on r/soccer
Sources
- 1. t-online.de — Fußball-WM: England vs. DR Kongo – Kane wendet Spiel zum Schluss
- 2. expressen.se — Lämnar dödsbesked efter DR Kongos VM-uttåg
- 4. fourfourtwo.com — 'England are in big trouble - if Thomas Tuchel doesn't sort that out we're going out' Wayne Rooney not mincing words on unconvincing DR Congo showing
- 5. fussballnationalmannschaft.net — Pressestimmen zu England DR Kongo 2:1: Kane rettet Tuchel den späten Zittersieg
- 6. soccernews.com — Kane, Mbappe, Messi and Haaland are ‘sharks who smell blood’ at World Cup, says Tuchel
- 10. t-online.de — Fußball-WM 2026: Kongo-Trainer Desabre trauert um Vater
- 12. theguardian.com — ‘Let the children watch’: Tuchel on England’s 1am BST kick-off after Kane rescue act
- 13. fourfourtwo.com — 'Anthony Barry had a brilliant idea' - Thomas Tuchel explains Declan Rice tactical switch during England vs DR Congo
- 14. bbc.co.uk — No time for England to adapt to altitude - Tuchel
- 15. voetbalprimeur.nl — Henry vol bewondering na Engelse ontsnapping: 'Vanaf nu noem ik hem Sir...'
- 16. bbc.co.uk — What you need to know about England's last-16 opponents Mexico
- 17. bbc.co.uk — 'Why not take advantage?' - did hydration breaks spark England comeback?