Harry Kane: England's World Cup saviour again

Harry Kane scored twice in 11 minutes to save England's World Cup on Wednesday, as Thomas Tuchel's side beat DR Congo 2-1 in Atlanta to reach the round of 16. The Bayern Munich captain headed a 75th-minute equaliser before scoring the winner, keeping England's hopes of a first World Cup since 1966 alive.

How many goals has Harry Kane scored at the 2026 World Cup?

Kane has scored five goals at the 2026 World Cup, one behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe and level with Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. His double against DR Congo also took his World Cup tally to 13 goals, moving him above Pele and level with France's Just Fontaine, sixth on the all-time list behind Messi.

Tuchel described Kane as one of the "sharks" of this World Cup, alongside the tournament's other elite forwards. "They are all sharks," he said. "If they smell blood, they come and score." The Germany coach called Kane's performance "crazy" and praised his leadership and clinical finishing.

Midfielder Declan Rice praised his captain's influence both on and off the pitch. He said Kane was "a proper leader" who trains every day and gets on with everyone in the group. Rice pointed to Kane's second goal, a reverse strike into the top corner, as proof of his quality, adding: "We're very lucky to have him."

Kane has scored 72 goals for club and country this season in just 62 appearances. He said Wednesday was his day for "hero moments," as England now prepare for a last-16 tie against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.

Can England rely on other players to rescue them?

Kane and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham are England's clear go-to men in moments of crisis. Between them, the pair have scored seven of England's eight goals at this World Cup. England are not alone in leaning on individual brilliance: Messi scored six of Argentina's eight goals during the group stage.

Tuchel faces a difficult dilemma over the fitness of his 32-year-old captain, since England have no like-for-like replacement at centre-forward. Despite Kane's scoring form, England have struggled to match their billing as tournament favourites since an opening 4-2 win over Croatia. Their defence looked shaky against a DR Congo side ranked far below them, while their attack lacked fluency for long spells.

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Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke struggled to make an impact from wide areas during the match. Substitute Anthony Gordon set up both of Kane's goals, though England still look short of game-changing options from the bench. France, by contrast, can call on Michael Olise and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele alongside Mbappe, with further quality in reserve.

Who do England play next at the World Cup?

England will return to their base in Kansas City to prepare for a testing round-of-16 match against co-hosts Mexico on Sunday. Tuchel said he wanted to focus on the win over DR Congo before turning his attention to Mexico, a game complicated by the added challenge of high altitude. "It is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures, the most exciting fixtures that you can have," he said.

Former England forward Chris Sutton warned against taking the win over DR Congo for granted. He told the BBC that beating DR Congo was a big deal given the stakes of knockout football. Sutton said the result raised an obvious question: where would England be without Harry Kane?