World Cup serves up huge drama as England survive DR Congo and Belgium comes back from two goals down to beat Senegal

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

Atlanta (CNN) — It seems like the 2026 World Cup is serving up new and better forms of drama every single day now that the knockout rounds have finally arrived.

Wednesday has been no different.

England needed two late goals from captain Harry Kane to storm back and hold off a determined team from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, earning a 2-1 victory that narrowly avoided one of the biggest World Cup upsets in history.

And in the subsequent game, Belgium scored two goals in three minutes to force extra time against Senegal and eventually scored the winning goal on a penalty with just minutes left in the match.

Get caught up on the early games here:

Belgium makes an incredible comeback to shatter Senegal

Belgium pulled off a comeback for the ages to knock out Senegal, despite trailing by two goals with about five minutes to play in the game – eventually scoring the winning goal on a controversial penalty in extra time.

Senegal was in command in the opening portions of the match and got a deserved opener in the 25th minute. A cross whipped into the box was headed by Ismaïla Sarr off the post past a sprawling Thibaut Courtois. The rebound bounced directly to Habib Diarra, who tucked the ball into the back of the net for the early lead.

From there, the Belgians struggled to come into the game until just before halftime when a long strike from Maxim De Cuyper forced Senegal keeper Mory Diaw into a fantastic save.

After the halftime break, the Senegalese started off hot again with Sarr doubling their lead on a fantastic strike. A long ball over the top of the defense came toward Sarr, who softened the pass with a chest trap, let the ball bounce and then fired a shot past Courtois to make it 2-0 in the 51st minute.

With the time ticking down in the match, the Belgians pulled one back through their all-time leading scorer, Romelu Lukaku, with a striker’s goal. The No. 9 charged toward the net while holding off a Senegalese defender. He fired his shot at a tight angle into the net inside the near post, giving the Belgians a lifeline with just a few minutes to play.

Only two minutes later, the Belgians got their equalizer on a moment of bravery from Youri Tielemans. The midfielder rose up in the box – arguably with a bit of a push on a Senegalese defender – and headed the ball past a charging Diaw, who brought Tielemans down with a tackle that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Seahawks game played in the same stadium.

The late goals meant the game ticked into extra time, with the teams needing 30 more minutes to sort things out. The first 15 minutes of extra time were not particularly notable as the game settled down after Belgium’s furious comeback and neither team created much of an opportunity.

Senegal had the better chances in the second frame but fatigue appeared to be setting in for both sides as play slowed. But it was Belgium who had the best chance to end things in extra time with penalties looming.

A blasted cross went into the box, whistling through the six-yard box. It bounced off a Senegalese defender and out to midfielder Dodi Lukébakio. Even with plenty of time to settle, Lukébakio fired a side-footed shot and missed the net, bouncing the shot off the woodwork.

But all was not lost for the Belgians – referee Héctor Martínez was notified by the video assistant referee that he may have missed a penalty in the buildup. Martínez ruled that Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara slid into Tielemans as the cross went in, knocking him over, awarding a penalty in the final moments of the match.

Senegal did all they could to delay the process, with Pathé Ciss going down with an apparent injury right on the penalty spot as the Belgians prepared for the spot kick.

Tielemans stepped up to take the penalty and promptly buried it in the top right corner to give Belgium a 3-2 lead in stoppage time.

Senegal had one last chance with a free kick in the final minute, but it was sent soaring over and the referee blew the final whistle to end a classic contest.

Kane pulls England past DR Congo with two late goals

The Congolese shocked the mostly English crowd in Atlanta when Brian Cipenga was left unmarked at the far post on a cross in the seventh minute. He calmly collected the ball and fired a shot past keeper Jordan Pickford, giving the African side a stunning 1-0 lead in the opening minutes of the match, and then ran off for a flipping celebration before being mobbed by all of his teammates – including the subs who ran in from the bench.

The goal sent the small contingent of Congolese fans inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the scene of their first-ever World Cup victory only days before against Uzbekistan, into delirious joy. The massive traveling throng of English fans, meanwhile, struggled to find their voice after their team was set back by the opening strike.

The English appeared rattled in the ensuing periods of play, controlling the ball for long stretches without much end product before the Congolese hit back on the counterattack. The hydration break was much needed for England, and the stoppage was greeted with an outpouring of boos – though for once it wasn’t clear if it was for the break itself or at the Three Lions.

It didn’t take long for England to have its first great opportunity to even things up after the break as a Jude Bellingham header from close range was saved off a cross sent in by Noni Madueke. The header forced a spectacular save from Lionel Mpasi in the Congo net. Marcus Rashford had another clear shot a few minutes later that was cleared off the line by a DR Congo defender.

DR Congo came very close to doubling its lead a few minutes before halftime when Yoane Wissa hit the post off a deflected cross.

A moment of controversy came on the very next sequence when Kane was brought down in the box by a charging Mpasi, though referee Adham Mohammad declined to give a penalty despite clear contact in the box and Kane being first to a long ball into the area. The decision was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee and play went on, much to the chagrin of the English.

Kane had one more great chance to equalize on the stroke of halftime, volleying a corner directly into Mpasi from just feet away. The teams went to the break with the Congolese holding tightly to that one-goal advantage.

The pressure ramped up after halftime but there was still no breakthrough for the English as manager Thomas Tuchel subbed off Madueke and Rashford for two fellow attackers, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon. Saka was the source of much anger when a poor first touch deflected out of play for the hydration break, with more boos echoing around Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

England’s equalizer finally came in the 74th minute when Kane rose highest for a header in the box sent in by Gordon, nodding the ball past a diving Mpasi to make it 1-1. The England crowd erupted in relief and joy, suddenly feeling the weight lifted off their shoulders and roaring their team on to go find a winner.

The storm unleashed by the goal had the Congolese hanging on for dear life as England sent wave after wave of attacks at Mpasi’s goal. The tension grew heavy every time Congo looked to counterattack, and anticipation filled the air when England once again crowded the Congolese half.

England’s deliverance came in the 85th minute when Kane sent one more shot past Mpasi, ending Congo’s hopes for a historic upset. Bellingham’s run unlocked the Congo defense, forcing a save from Mpasi. Gordon collected the rebound and sent a tricky pass to Kane at the top of the penalty area, where he took two touches and then smashed the ball into the back of the net.

The full-time whistle brought a roar of relief from the throngs of English supporters in the stands and a full-throated rendition of “It’s Coming Home.” The England players could be seen giving their plaudits to Mpasi, who had one of the standout goalkeeping performances of the tournament in defeat.

The England players lined up for the now-traditional postgame singing of “Wonderwall” by Oasis, serenaded by the fans who had only half an hour earlier been silent with anxiety. It was, truly, the full “England-at-the-World-Cup” experience.

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