Kane surpasses Pelé as England, Belgium survive World Cup scares

Harry Kane rescued England from the brink of elimination and surpassed Pelé's World Cup goal tally, while Belgium produced the tournament's greatest comeback with the latest goal in World Cup history, as both teams advanced to the round of 16 on a dramatic day at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kane's Historic Brace Saves England

England looked headed for one of their worst World Cup exits after Brian Cipenga gave DR Congo a seventh-minute lead at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday. But Kane, the Bayern Munich striker, produced an 11-minute double — equalizing in the 75th minute before rifling in the winner in the 86th — to complete a 2-1 comeback.espn+1

The brace took Kane's career World Cup tally to 13 goals, surpassing Pelé's total of 12. He had already broken Gary Lineker's England record of 10 World Cup goals during the group stage win over Panama. ESPN reported that Kane's performance headlined the day's action as England set up a round-of-16 clash against Mexico.espn+2

Kane's World Cup form also revived a bizarre subplot from earlier in the tournament. Before England's group match against Ghana, Ghanaian spiritualist Nana Kwaku Bonsam claimed to have placed a curse on Kane, who was held scoreless in a goalless draw. Bonsam later said he lifted the curse, telling reporters: "Harry Kane is not my enemy. I have a baby who I will soon name after Harry Kane because I love Harry Kane for a long time". After Kane's match-winning display against Congo, the witch doctor's earlier claims went viral again across social media.indiatoday+2

Belgium's Record-Breaking Comeback

In Seattle, Belgium staged what The Athletic called "the biggest comeback victory of the 2026 tournament" against Senegal. Trailing 2-0 deep into the second half, Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute before Youri Tielemans equalized three minutes later to force extra time.nytimes+1

Tielemans then converted a controversial VAR-awarded penalty in the fifth minute of added time in extra time — at 124 minutes and 44 seconds on the clock — to seal a 3-2 victory. According to ESPN, it was the latest goal in the history of the World Cup finals. Reuters reported the win sent Belgium through to face the United States in the round of 16.espn+2

A Day of Drama at the 2026 World Cup

The twin comebacks underlined the unpredictability of the expanded 48-team tournament's first knockout round. Thomas Tuchel's England side, aiming to end a 60-year wait for a major trophy, will travel to Mexico City's Estadio Azteca for their round-of-16 match, while Belgium remain in Seattle for theirs. Both teams now carry the momentum of escaping elimination by the narrowest of margins.foxsports+1