As Harry Kane raced away into a corner of Atlanta’s futuristic stadium, England head coach Thomas Tuchel followed on to the pitch in celebration.
Kane – captain, inspiration and undisputed world class operator – had rescued a World Cup campaign that was threatening to end in one of the worst humiliations in England history.
Under the roof away from Atlanta’s searing heat and stifling humidity England, and perhaps Tuchel’s time in charge, were withering away as they trailed DR Congo until a player who is one of his country’s all-time greats revived them.
Make no mistake, England were heading for embarrassment on the scale of the Euro 2016 last-16 loss to Iceland and the World Cup defeat against United States in 1950 until Kane, as he so often does, took control.
Kane’s record-breaking England career has been littered with moments of greatness – but none to match what he produced here in a gripping last-32 tie.
With only 15 minutes left and the giant clock seemingly racing along, Kane powered a header past goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, a brilliant figure of defiance who formed a formidable barrier with a series of outstanding saves.
And then, with four minutes left, Kane did what the greats do.
He produced a moment of brilliance to send England on their way to the cauldron of Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, where they will face co-hosts Mexico in the last 16.
Kane took a pass from Anthony Gordon, who made a superb impact as a substitute with involvement in both goals, shifted the ball away from a DR Congo defender before unleashing a stunning right-foot strike high past Mpasi, who barely had time to move.
Kane heroics relief for Tuchel & the FA
England’s reaction was an explosion of celebration and sheer relief, a largely dreadful performance transformed into dramatic victory by their magnificent captain.
The celebration was for that place in the last 16.
The relief will have been Tuchel’s, who would surely have been unable to survive such embarrassment irrespective of his contract extension.
Relief, too, for the Football Association, who placed such faith in the German and handed him the sole mission of winning this World Cup.
And it was all down to Harry Kane.
Kane attracts superlatives and respect like a magnet. Every bit of it deserved – as proved by the stats left behind by his latest feat.
He now has five goals in this World Cup, as the race for the Golden Boot becomes a sprint between Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi, with Tuchel saying: “They are all sharks. They smell blood.”
Tuchel added: “These big guys at this World Cup, do they watch each other? And then they go ‘not with me, then I score, then I do a hat-trick, then you go’. What is going on? Crazy.
“Harry is so, so good. He’s our captain. He’s our leader. He decides football matches with unbelievable finishes and did it here twice. The second one was just a brilliant goal.”
Kane now moves above Pele to go joint sixth on the all-time World Cup scorers list with 13, and now has 84 goals for England. This means he is level with legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskas in ninth on all-time international scorers list
He is the first England player to score twice in a World Cup knockout stage match since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in 1990. Kane has now scored five knockout stage goals at a World Cup. Only Lineker, with six, has scored more for England.
Most remarkably of all, he now has 72 goals in 62 games for club and country this season, with 11 for England and 61 for Bayern Munich.
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The 32-year-old simply gets better with age, and not just with his goalscoring ability, but also with his range of passing and leadership by example.
England colleague Jude Bellingham said he would look back at Kane in future years as a player and person he was proud and privileged to line up alongside. And team-mate Gordon delivered similar glowing praise.
The Barcelona winger said: “Anyone can score a good goal. Anyone at this level can put the ball in the top corner, but it’s the consistency which with he does it. Every day in training. Every game. It’s phenomenal. He plays at such a high level.”
He added: “It’s amazing to be around him every day. When you are around someone at the elite level, he’s at the very top of football. He’s having a season that has only ever been beaten by Lionel Messi – the greatest player of all time.
“That speaks to the level he’s playing at. When you’re around someone like that, you want to pick up as many habits, and watch everything he does, to see why he’s at that level.
“It’s no accident. How hard he works. He does it with passion. He does it with seriousness. He never, ever messes about. It’s amazing to be around him and he’s definitely an inspiration to all of us.”
And Kane was not messing about against DR Congo. Not that he had time.
All sorts of storylines – none of them good – were under consideration until Kane simply refused to allow England to go under.
Kane himself said: “I remember being a kid and watching England growing up, watching the World Cup and dreaming of being here one day.
“I try not to forget that when I’m walking onto the pitch. I try and be the best version of myself. I know there are millions of boys and girls around the world watching a tournament like this.
“Leading by example is one of my biggest traits and my biggest mottos I try to live by. Whenever I’m on that pitch I try and do my best for the country.”
England face daunting World Cup task in Mexico
Now the scenery shifts to Mexico City and the hothouse of the iconic Azteca Stadium.
Mexico have only lost two of their last 88 competitive games at their home – and England’s most recent World Cup memories there are of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand Of God” in their 1986 quarter-final defeat against Argentina.
The 2026 co-hosts have 70 wins in 89 competitive games and have gone 10 World Cup matches unbeaten in the stadium.
England face a mammoth task as they move to altitude after matches in enclosed stadia in Dallas and Atlanta, as well as in the cooling rain at Boston and The New York New Jersey Stadium.
They will face passionate support in a country where expectation is now developing into a fanatical fever.
It will be a hostile environment in which England will need Harry Kane more than ever.
And, as proved in Atlanta, as far as England are concerned, where there is Harry Kane there is hope.
