Atlanta: England booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after staging a second-half comeback to defeat DR Congo 2-1 in their Round of 32 clash on Wednesday. However, despite the victory, former England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor strongly criticised the team’s overall display.
DR Congo stunned England in the first half when Brian Cipenga fired a powerful shot past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to give the African side an early lead, leaving the Three Lions trailing 1-0 at the break.
England turned the match around in the second half through captain Harry Kane, who scored twice in quick succession to seal a 2-1 victory for the side coached by Thomas Tuchel.
Substitute Anthony Gordon played a decisive role in the comeback, providing assists for both of Kane’s goals in the 75th and 86th minutes.
Despite the result, Agbonlahor expressed his disappointment with England’s performance during an appearance on talkSPORT, describing it as “terrible” and saying he could not celebrate the victory because of the team’s display.
Kane’s brace also took his tally to five goals in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, moving him into joint third place in the tournament’s scoring charts alongside Erling Haaland. The England captain had earlier scored twice against Croatia, failed to score in a goalless draw with Ghana, and added another goal in England’s 2-0 victory over Panama during the group stage.
England will now travel to Mexico to face co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16 at Estadio Azteca on Monday as they continue their quest for World Cup glory.
