Harry Kane added another unforgettable chapter to his English soccer career on Wednesday.
Trailing DR Congo 1-0 at halftime in the World Cup round of 32, England called on its captain. Kane answered with two memorable second-half goals to help the Three Lions rally for a 2-1 victory and a date with Mexico in the round of 16.
England’s all-time leading scorer evened the contest with a header after Brian Cipenga had given Congo a surprising halftime lead. Kane then scored the decisive goal into the top corner in the 86th minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“It was just about pounding the rock, keep pounding the rock and our moment would come,” Kane said afterward. “We spoke about people having hero moments. It can be anyone in the team… Whoever it is, we have hero moments, and for me it was the day.”
With every tournament, Kane’s résumé grows harder to dispute. His performance on Wednesday was another piece of evidence that he has built one of the greatest international careers the country has ever seen.
Here are the numbers that highlight Kane’s growing legacy.
15: Kane made his 15th World Cup start on Wednesday, the most by any England men’s outfield player.
5: Kane has scored five goals in seven career World Cup knockout matches, one shy of Gary Lineker’s England record of six.
1: Before Wednesday, England had won only one previous World Cup match after conceding first.
2: Kane became the first England player since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in 1990 to score twice in a World Cup knockout match.
86: Kane’s game-winning goal, which came in the 86th minute, was England’s latest regulation-time winning goal in a World Cup knockout match.
5: Kane’s five goals at the 2026 World Cup trail only France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina’s Lionel Messi (six each).
75: Kane became the first England player to score twice after the 75th minute of regulation in a World Cup match.
90: Kane made his 90th start for England as captain on Wednesday, tying Bobby Moore and Billy Wright for most starts as captain.
84: Following his two-goal performance on Wednesday, Kane now has 84 goals for the national team in total.
