The Democratic Republic of Congo narrowly missed a World Cup sensation in their Round of 16 clash against England. However, Harry Kane ultimately preserved the Three Lions’ grand ambition.
It was a hard-fought battle for England! In the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the title co-favorite found themselves trailing 0-1 against DR Congo, a deficit created by Brian Cipenga in the 7th minute.
England anxiously held on until the final stages, fearing an early exit, before Harry Kane equalized in the 75th minute. The 32-year-old Bayern Munich star then sealed the 2-1 victory in the 86th minute, preventing a penalty shootout for the Three Lions.
Three key observations from England’s arduous path to the World Cup Round of 16 match against co-hosts Mexico (Monday, 2 AM German time).
Harry Kane: Initially Clumsy, Ultimately England’s Lifeline
As Harry Kane took the ball past the advancing DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi in the penalty area shortly before halftime and went down, everyone in Atlanta expected the referee to award a penalty. However, the whistle never came; instead, the Jordanian official signaled that Kane had simply dived.
It was a bold decision, which the VAR naturally reviewed but did not overturn. While Mpasi did make contact with Kane’s foot, the goalkeeper’s movement was not an active challenge but rather a retraction. Furthermore, the English striker, as is often the case, sought contact, anticipating a penalty. Kane was understandably bewildered by the referee’s decision not to award a spot-kick.
However, the truth is that the Bayern star’s movement appeared rehearsed. He initiated contact, felt it, and fell. Confident that he would receive a penalty and convert it with his usual precision to equalize. DR Congo could not have complained if a penalty had been given, but upon closer inspection, it was arguable not to award one.
Bayern icon and ARD expert Bastian Schweinsteiger echoed this sentiment at halftime: «The contact is there, but he (Kane) goes down too early. It looks too much like he’s trying to con the referee. If he had done it a bit more skillfully and not fallen so clumsily into the goalkeeper, it might have been a penalty.»
Because no penalty was given, England remained behind. And for a significant period. England anxiously awaited until the 75th minute, and the nightmare scenario began to take shape. But then came Kane: he headed in the equalizer to make it 1-1 and shortly before the end (86th minute), the FCB forward added another with sheer determination. He persistently worked his way into a shooting position and hammered the ball into the top corner for the final 2-1 scoreline. The palpable relief among England’s stars could be felt far beyond Atlanta.
An Unheralded Player Forces Thomas Tuchel’s Controversial Squad Decision to Be Questioned
Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was among the many high-profile names whom England manager Thomas Tuchel controversially omitted from his 2026 World Cup squad.
With Reece James and Jarell Quansah, two of Tuchel’s chosen right-back options, missing the Round of 16 match against DR Congo due to injury, Djed Spence – who has primarily played left-back for Tottenham Hotspur – was forced to start. Given the 25-year-old’s lackluster performance in England’s first knockout game of the World Cup, Tuchel’s decision regarding Alexander-Arnold may now come back to haunt him.
Spence was culpable for the early goal: when receiving a pass from Chancel Mbemba from midfield, he was drawn inside by Noah Sadiki, failing to signal to defensive midfielder Elliot Anderson to cover the incoming DR Congo midfielder. Spence’s right flank was left completely exposed. This allowed Brian Cipenga ample time to set himself up and beat Jordan Pickford.
Beyond his role in the 0-1 deficit, Spence also struggled at times. The incredibly agile Cipenga continuously troubled the Spurs defender, at times leaving Spence dizzy. The Englishman’s market value is €30 million, while Cipenga has only been worth over a million euros for about six months (Source: Transfermarkt).
The 28-year-old recently moved within the second tier of Spanish football from CD Castellon to UD Almeria. Until three years ago, Cipenga played in the third tier of Portuguese football for a club called Vilavardense FC, far removed from a stage like this Wednesday in Atlanta.
The Kinshasa-born 1.72m player only debuted for the national team in October, making his World Cup debut in the final group game against Uzbekistan (3-1). His convincing performance in that match earned him a start against England – and he made life incredibly difficult for a Premier League defender.
DR Congo Defended Compactly and with Passion: But Another Factor Was Crucial to England’s Struggles
Given England’s star-studded lineup and favoritism, it was expected that DR Congo would prioritize a compact defensive approach. The Africans did just that, shifting with immense discipline, leaving few gaps for the most part, and defending their goal with everything they had.
However, the key to them causing England such significant difficulties was not solely their defense. Instead, the attacking quality displayed by the underdog was equally important. DR Congo repeatedly managed to break out of their own half, keep the ball away from their own goal for extended periods, keep England occupied, and avoid being under constant pressure.
It speaks volumes about DR Congo’s footballing quality that this was possible against an opponent who was clearly superior on paper. With beautiful passing sequences, Sebastien Desabre’s team repeatedly made the highly-rated English opponents run, and the three-man midfield of Sadiki (AFC Sunderland), Ngal’ayel Mukau (OSC Lille), and Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos Athens) impressed with their composure on the ball and passing accuracy.
Wingers Nathanael Mbuku (FC Augsburg) and Cipenga provided good support, and their positional play was often precise. Yoane Wissa upfront served as a target man and, shortly before halftime, with a shot against the post, he came close to making it 2-0. Who knows if England would have been able to come back then.
Jude Bellingham and his teammates sometimes appeared surprised by their opponent’s strong attacking play and struggled to create clear chances for much of the match. Two patterns emerged in the struggling but ultimately resilient World Cup co-favorite’s offensive play after the first hydration break in the first half.
Firstly, crosses from the half-space to avoid breaking through the opponent’s dense block, which found Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham advancing from midfield. Secondly, dribbles by Noni Madueke. When Tuchel’s team managed to get the Arsenal star, with his outstanding acceleration and close ball control on the right flank, into a one-on-one situation with opponent Arthur Masuaku, the latter was often overwhelmed, and danger arose in DR Congo’s penalty area.
However, Tuchel substituted Madueke, along with his counterpart Marcus Rashford, after an hour, bringing on Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon for fresh legs on the wings. This paid off significantly when, after the second hydration break, Tuchel made another substitution, along with a decisive tactical adjustment: for the ineffective right-back Spence, England’s German coach brought on attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze in the 71st minute.
Declan Rice then moved from defensive midfield to right-back in the back four. Despite the unfamiliar role, the Arsenal star performed much better there than Spence had. In conjunction with the substituted Eze operating further forward in central midfield than Rice, England was able to generate more attacking impetus near the penalty area in the closing stages. The onslaught became increasingly vehement, while DR Congo had few moments of respite in the last 20 minutes.
The Africans thus lost the key to victory.
England vs. DR Congo 2:1 (0:1) — Match Data
| Match | England vs. DR Congo |
| Result | 2:1 (0:1) |
| Goals | 0:1 Cipenga (7′), 1:1, 2:1 Kane (75′, 86′) |
| Competition | 2026 World Cup, Round of 16 |
| Venue | Atlanta (USA) |