FIFA World Cup 2026: Harry Kane joins Cristiano Ronaldo in elite major tournament club after brace vs DR Congo
Atlanta, July 2
Records continue to tumble for England captain Harry Kane as, following his match-winning brace in a crucial round of 32 clash in the FIFA World Cup against DR Congo, he became just the second player to score 20 or more goals across both the FIFA WC and the Euro Championships.
Now, as per OptaJoe, Harry's goal count across the FIFA World Cup and the Euro has touched 20, with 13 coming in the World Cup and seven in the Euro Championships. Only the Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo (10 FIFA WC goals and 14 Euro goals) has done better with 24 goals, as per Opta Joe.
Further solidifying his legacy as one of the most clutch players of this decade in European football, he completed 10 knockout goals in major tournaments (FIFA+ Euro) by European players since Euro 2020, with Kylian Mbappe (7), Dani Olmo, Kasper Dolberg and Goncalo Ramos (3) trailing him, as per Optajoe.
Coming to the match, a late-stage Harry Kane masterclass, with goals in the 75th and 86th minutes, sunk DR Congo, who dominated a large chunk of the match after Brian Cipenka's opener in the seventh minute. Now, they will be travelling to Mexico for their round of 16 clash at the iconic Azteca venue against Mexico, scheduled for Monday.
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. With his two strikes, he has 13 FIFA World Cup goals, one more than Pele.
Also, he surpassed Geoff Hurst (4 goals) for the second-most FIFA WC knockout goals for England, with five. Only Gary Lineker (six) has more FIFA knockout goals than Kane. However, Kane (13) has surpassed Lineker's overall tally of 10 goals.
A tough Mexico test awaits England at the iconic Azteca Stadium on July 6, 5:30 AM IST.
— ANI
Reader Comments
What a comeback! That second goal by Kane was pure class. England really have a chance this time. But Mexico at Azteca is going to be a different beast altogether — the atmosphere there is insane. Hope Kane keeps his form! ⚽🇮🇳
Kane is now above Pele? That's huge! But to be fair, Pele played in an era with fewer World Cup matches. Still, Kane's consistency is remarkable. As an Indian, I just wish we had more of these clutch players in our own football setup. The potential is there but the grassroots need a serious overhaul.
Great performance by Kane, but DR Congo dominated for most of the match. England were lucky to escape. Mexico will punish them if they play like that again. That said, Kane's record is undeniable — he's an all-time great now.
Kane overtaking Pele is no small feat, but let's not forget that Pele won three World Cups. Records aside, winning the actual trophy is what matters. England have the squad to do it, but they need to stay focused. Also, as a neutral Indian fan, I'm just happy to watch some good football! 🏆
The kick-off at 5:30 AM IST is tough for us Indian fans, but worth it for matches like this! Kane's brace was brilliant. Also, it's great to see African teams like DR Congo putting up a fight. World Cup 2026 has been exciting so far. 🌍
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