Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Harry Kane declared England have several players that can provide “hero moments” after he stepped up to avert a huge World Cup shock against DR Congo on Wednesday.
England looked set to suffer a stunning round-of-32 exit after Brian Cipenga gave DR Congo a lead they would hold until the 75th minute.
But Kane stepped up when the Three Lions needed their captain most, heading in a left-wing delivery from Anthony Gordon to make it 1-1, then firing into the roof of the net following another assist from the new Barcelona signing in the 86th minute.
Kane is the first England player to score a brace in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in the 1990 quarter-finals, while he also has 10 goals in his last 11 major tournament knockout games (World Cup/Euros).
In that period, which dates back to Euro 2020, he has more such goals than any other European player, with Kylian Mbappe netting seven in that time.
It is only the second instance of England winning a World Cup match after going 1-0 down, with the other being in the 1966 final versus Germany (4-2).
Speaking to BBC Sport, Kane said: “We were playing against a tough and organised team. After that first hydration break, we upped the level. The keeper made some unbelievable saves. But we had to keep going and the moments would come.
“Whether it’s me, Jude [Bellingham] or whoever, we have hero moments.
“You have to stay patient. The last couple of games were very similar. When you get to knockout football, the pressure is higher, but it’s about being ourselves.
“This week, we talked about how we had to keep being ourselves. From an attacking point of view, it’s the best performance so far.
“We are in the part of the tournament where we have to grind wins out. These rounds are just about getting through, as the boss said.”
1 – Harry Kane è il primo giocatore dell’Inghilterra a segnare due volte dal 75° minuto di gioco in avanti nei tempi regolamentari di una gara dei Mondiali FIFA. Provvidenziale.#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/omv5ts2r5z
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) July 1, 2026
Kane is now joint-sixth in the all-time World Cup scoring charts, alongside Just Fontaine (13 goals). Only Lionel Messi (19), Mbappe (18), Miroslav Klose (16), Ronaldo Nazario (15) and Gerd Muller (14) have outscored him in the tournament’s history.
The Bayern Munich star gathered his team-mates to give an impassioned team talk at full-time, and when asked what he told them, he said: “I just told the boys to enjoy it.
“Sometimes, as an England player, when you go through these games where you’re expected to win, you don’t celebrate like you should.
“The same as every other nation, we’re through and we should enjoy it. Over 90 minutes, we’re tough to handle.”
Midfielder Elliot Anderson added: “[Kane said] to enjoy it. We’re through the round of 16 – go and enjoy it, enjoy the fans, and then we’ll get our heads down and learn from it.
“We’ve just enjoyed it in the changing rooms, we’ll have a good night, and then we’ll get back on it.
“Big game players… we love these players and look to them to get us to the next round. We build the foundations and try to get them the ball, and they’ll do their stuff.”
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