Atlanta [US], July 2 (ANI): England captain Harry Kane etched his name deeper into FIFA World Cup history by overtaking Brazilian legend Pele's World Cup goal tally as his late brace inspired a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Congo DR and booked the Three Lions' place in the round of 16.
Facing the prospect of a shock elimination, England trailed for more than an hour after Congo DR struck inside the opening 10 minutes. But Kane once again delivered on the biggest stage, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to rescue his side and keep their title hopes alive.
Congo DR stunned England in the seventh minute when Brian Cipenga burst in from the left and squeezed a finish past Jordan Pickford at the near post.
Thomas Tuchel's side struggled to recover from the early setback and were repeatedly frustrated by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who denied Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford with a series of impressive saves.
Yoane Wissa also came close to doubling the African side's advantage, only to see his powerful effort crash against the post.
England's frustrations grew when Kane's appeal for a penalty was turned down after he went down inside the area, with the referee waving play on.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 75th minute when Kane found the net to level the scores. The goal took his World Cup tally to 12, drawing him level with Pele, who scored 12 goals in 16 World Cup appearances and remains the only player to lift the trophy three times.
Eleven minutes later, Kane completed the turnaround, rifling home the winner to move onto 13 World Cup goals and surpass the Brazilian icon.
According to ESPN UK, England had not won a men's World Cup match after conceding first since defeating Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, making Kane's heroics all the more significant.
The brace also took Kane's tally at the tournament to five goals, leaving him just one behind Golden Boot leader Lionel Messi.
Having already overtaken Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading men's World Cup scorer during the group-stage win over Panama, Kane added another landmark to his remarkable career. The England captain has now scored 20 goals in major international tournaments and 84 goals in 118 appearances for his country.
England will now face tournament co-hosts Mexico in the round of 16 at Estadio Azteca on July 5, with Kane carrying both momentum and history into the knockout stages. (ANI)
