In the 68th minute of England's World Cup round of 32 match against DR Congo, the Three Lions were staring at a defeat that would have ranked alongside their loss to the USA at the 1950 World Cup. DR Congo had scored in the 7th minute through Brian Cipenga, and England had 58 World Cup games without coming from behind to win. Then Harry Kane headed home an Anthony Gordon cross in the 75th minute, and in the 86th minute he curled a shot past the goalkeeper to complete a 2-1 comeback. It was the first time England had come from behind in a World Cup match since 1966, breaking a 60-year curse.
The match was the round of 32 fixture in the 2026 World Cup, played in Atlanta. England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, faced an energetic DR Congo side that took a shock early lead. Cipenga was left unmarked at the back post to slot past Jordan Pickford. England pressed hard but were repeatedly thwarted by Congo keeper Lionel Mpasi. In first-half stoppage time, Kane went down in the box under a challenge from Mpasi, but the referee waved away penalty claims. The breakthrough came when Kane headed in Gordon's cross, then Gordon again fed Kane inside the box for the winner.
“England's historic 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo in World Cup 2026 explained.”
This comeback was significant because England had not overturned a deficit in a World Cup game since the 1966 final, when they came from 2-1 down to beat West Germany 4-2 and win the tournament. That famous victory remains England's only World Cup triumph. For 60 years and 58 World Cup matches, England had never repeated the feat. The win against DR Congo broke that drought, sparking hopes among fans that history may repeat itself.
For UK readers, the win has practical implications. England now face Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca Stadium on Monday at 1am UK time. Mexico are one of the host nations and have looked strong in the tournament. The match timing means many fans will be staying up late or taking time off work. Indeed, thousands of Londoners bunked off work to watch the DR Congo game, with pubs packed across the capital. The win also fuels the perennial English dream that 'football might finally be coming home', though France, Spain, Brazil and Argentina remain serious contenders.
Q: What was the 60-year curse that England broke? England had not come from behind to win a World Cup match since the 1966 final, when they beat West Germany 4-2. That meant 58 consecutive World Cup games without a comeback victory, spanning ten tournaments.
Q: How did Harry Kane secure the win? Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes. First he headed in a cross from Anthony Gordon on 75 minutes, then Gordon fed him again inside the box on 86 minutes, where Kane turned and fired a shot past the goalkeeper.
Q: Who do England play next and when? England will face Mexico in the last 16 on Monday at 1am UK time, at Mexico's iconic Azteca Stadium. Mexico are one of the tournament hosts.
What happens next: England must prepare for a tough last-16 tie against Mexico, who have the advantage of playing at home. The match will be a test of Thomas Tuchel's side after a performance that was far from convincing. However, the historic comeback has given fans belief that this could be a special tournament. England will need to improve their first-half performance to progress further. Meanwhile, other heavyweights like France, Spain, Brazil and Argentina remain in the competition, while Germany and the Netherlands have already been knocked out on penalties in the round of 32.