England captain Harry Kane credited the behind-the-scenes standards set by football greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored twice to lead England to a 2-1 comeback victory over Congo DR in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Kane's decisive double rescues England
Kane netted a brace in the second half to overturn a seventh-minute goal by Congo DR's Brian Cipenga, which had given the African side a shock lead. England dominated possession but trailed at halftime until manager Thomas Tuchel's substitutions changed the game.
Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka were introduced after the hour mark, followed by Eberechi Eze, as England piled on pressure. Gordon provided assists for both of Kane's goals. The England captain equalized in the 75th minute with a composed finish and struck again in the 86th minute to secure the win and set up a Round of 16 clash with co-hosts Mexico.
Kane praises Messi and Ronaldo's example
Speaking after the match, Kane highlighted the importance of off-field preparation. "That's why you do all the work behind the scenes. The things that you guys don't see when we are in training, when we are at home doing recovery, doing ice baths, doing treatment all the little details that make you be consistently at the highest level for as long as possible," Kane told reporters, as per DAZN Football.
"And you know, those guys, like Messi and Ronaldo, they're at the pinnacle of that. So yeah, I'm fitting as well as I've ever felt, and ultimately, when I got onto the pitch, I know all the work I've done behind the scenes will make me ready for big moments. And that's exactly what happened out there today," he added.
Kane climbs all-time World Cup scoring list
Kane's brace moved him past Pele and into a tie with Just Fontaine on 13 World Cup goals, placing him sixth on the tournament's all-time scoring list. He also became the first English player to score five or more goals at two different World Cups and is now just one goal behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.
The victory marked England's first-ever World Cup win after trailing at halftime and only the second time they have recovered from conceding first to win a World Cup knockout match, the other coming in the 1966 final against West Germany.
England's unbeaten run against African teams continues
England extended their unbeaten run against African opposition at the World Cup to 10 matches, the longest such streak by any nation against CAF teams. Gordon became the first player since 1966 to register two assists as a substitute in a World Cup knockout fixture.
