Kane's late double sees England past DR Congo, Mexico next

Harry Kane rescues England, 2–1 over DR Congo

Your team is through. England 2–1 DR Congo in the Round of 32, and Harry Kane dragged them there with a late double inside the final 15 minutes. Tuchel's side was wobbling at 1–0 down before Kane took over. The performance had problems, defensive gaps, disjointed spells, but Kane's finishing was the difference. Next up: Mexico.

Mexico await on Monday

The Round of 16 is set. England face Mexico on Monday, and the stakes are enormous. Edson Alvarez anchors their midfield, Raul Jimenez leads the line, and Javier Aguirre has them organised and aggressive (1) (2). Jacob Steinberg flagged England's defensive frailties after the Congo match, pointing to the Konsa-Sadiki and Spence-Cipenga matchups as moments of real vulnerability (1). Mexico will have watched that tape.

Elliot Anderson to City for £116m

Elliot Anderson is heading to Manchester City in a club-record £116m deal from Nottingham Forest (3) (4). The England midfielder will complete the move after the World Cup. It is the biggest British transfer in City's history. Anderson, 23, gives Guardiola a homegrown midfield engine, the fee says he is not a squad player. The deal is agreed.

Defensive questions and the Mexico puzzle

Steinberg did not sugarcoat it in his Q&A: the right-back situation is a live concern. With Reece James and Jarell Quansah both injured, Declan Rice could shift across as a stopgap (1). Against Mexico's pace on the counter, that is a gamble. Fans are already debating Tuchel's lineup for Monday, and the BBC has opened a team-picker for readers (5). Anthony Gordon's name keeps surfacing in selection chatter.

Fan-reaktioner

The mood is relief more than swagger. Kane's late goals sent England fans spilling into baseball stadiums to celebrate, and the BBC studio footage of Rooney, Hart, and Richards losing it at the winner went big on Reddit. A quieter storyline also resonated: DR Congo manager Sébastien Desabre learned of his father's passing just before kickoff and stayed on the bench. England supporters acknowledged it with class. Infantino's hydration-break comments, on the other hand, drew mostly eye-rolls. Thread on r/soccer