Africa’s hopes at the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered another major blow on Wednesday night after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were eliminated by England, who fought back from behind to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory in the Round of 32.
The Leopards produced a fearless performance and threatened one of the tournament’s biggest upsets after Brian Cipenga stunned England with an early goal in the seventh minute at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Congolese side dominated the opening exchanges and looked full of confidence, frustrating Thomas Tuchel’s England throughout the first half with disciplined defending and dangerous counter-attacks. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi also produced a series of excellent saves to preserve his side’s advantage as DR Congo went into the halftime break leading 1-0.
England returned for the second half with renewed urgency and gradually increased the pressure in search of an equaliser.
Captain Harry Kane finally broke DR Congo’s resistance in the 75th minute when he headed home to level the scores at 1-1 after England had created several clear-cut opportunities.
With extra time looming, Kane once again proved why he remains England’s talisman. The prolific striker completed the comeback in the 86th minute, beating his marker before firing a powerful shot past Mpasi to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory and send the Three Lions into the Round of 16.
Despite the defeat, DR Congo earned widespread admiration for their spirited World Cup campaign. In their maiden appearance in the knockout stages, Sébastien Desabre’s men showed courage and resilience, pushing one of the tournament favourites all the way before eventually falling short.
England’s victory means they advance to the Round of 16, where they will face co-hosts Mexico as they continue their quest for a first FIFA World Cup title since 1966. The win also keeps Thomas Tuchel’s side on course for a potential deep run in the tournament.
For Africa, however, the result represents another painful exit as DR Congo joined Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa among the continent’s teams eliminated from the competition, leaving fewer African representatives in the race for World Cup glory.
Result: England 2-1 DR Congo
Goals:
• Brian Cipenga (DR Congo) 7′
• Harry Kane (England) 75′
• Harry Kane (England) 86′