Harry Kane passes Pele and saves England's World Cup chances

England's Harry Kane. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Harry Kane passes Pele and saves England's World Cup chances with clutch brace vs. Congo DR at FIFA World Cup

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jul 1, 2026 3:43 PM ET

English forward Harry Kane scored two of the most significant goals in his career at the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday.

The scores allowed him to pass a legend for goals at the World Cup. It also saved England from another heartbreaking exit from the tournament.

Harry Kane saves England's World Cup chances

With England trailing Congo DR 1-0 in the knockout round at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Kane scored on a header into the bottom-left corner of the net in the 75th minute. English supporters didn't have to wait long for his next goal.

In the 86th minute, he scored again on the high right side of the net. That goal was 13th at the World Cup, passing Brazilian legend Pele's total at the tournament. The English standout is now tied with former French star Just Fontaine for the sixth-most goals at the World Cup.

An English comeback at Atlanta Stadium pic.twitter.com/adXGgzoQqo
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 1, 2026

Harry Kane is now tied with Just Fontaine for the SIXTH-most goals scored all-time at the World Cup pic.twitter.com/KDYjIivAX3
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 1, 2026

England didn't squander the 2-1 lead, punching its ticket to the Round of 16. It will face Mexico at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City on Sunday (Fox/Telemundo, 8 p.m. ET).

Kane called his clutch goals his "hero moment" in a postgame interview with Fox. He can say that again. Per ESPN Insights, England had never won a World Cup match after trailing at halftime before Wednesday's match.

Entering Wednesday, England had never won a men's World Cup match when trailing at halftime (W-D-L: 0-2-7).

That all changed today after a second-half brace from Harry Kane sent the Three Lions to the Round of 16 pic.twitter.com/cWxK4fDroU
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) July 1, 2026

England hopes Kane has more "hero moments" for the rest of the tournament. The country hasn't won a World Cup since 1966, but has one of its best chances to end that drought with the Kane-led squad.

As of Wednesday, FIFA ranks England No. 4 in the world behind Spain, Argentina and France. Beating the Blues would be a tall task for the Three Lions after they looked unstoppable in a 3-0 win over Sweden on Tuesday.

England, however, shouldn't look too far ahead and should just enjoy Wednesday's victory. It should also celebrate Kane. Without him, its World Cup chances would be toast.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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