England still have faults — defensive questions and a search for a consistent right-back — but they do not lack a matchwinner. Harry Kane proved that again with a dramatic two-goal performance to beat DR Congo and send England through.
Kane was not alone: Anthony Gordon came off the bench to provide two assists, Jude Bellingham’s relentless movement kept attacks alive, and Declan Rice’s unexpected right-back cameo offered useful moments. Yet it was Kane’s second, a thunderous strike from just inside the box into the roof of the net, that settled the game and underlined what he brings to this team: the ability to decide the tight, tense fixtures England keep finding themselves in.
Thomas Tuchel summed it up: “It’s what we expect from him! It’s what he expects from himself. Difficult matches, close matches — Harry’s here to decide them. Top level.” Kane’s winner took him to five goals at this World Cup and 72 for club and country in a remarkable season. The strike was also labelled his 13th World Cup goal in the all-time charts, a milestone that commentators used to underline his standing in the game.
The match itself was unusual for Kane. He was comparatively peripheral for long spells — five touches in the first 35 minutes and his first shot only arriving after the 34th minute — but when the moment came he delivered. That capacity to be decisive without always dominating possession draws comparisons with the likes of Erling Haaland: scarcely involved at times, yet invariably able to finish what matters.
Kane’s consistency and big-game moments have pushed him into the conversation among the world’s elite. Alongside Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Vinícius Jr., he now has a realistic claim for end-of-season accolades like the Ballon d’Or, provided England can sustain this form and aim for the ultimate prize.
At 33, Kane insists he feels “as good as I have ever felt,” and his performances suggest longevity rather than decline. Former players and pundits have been fulsome: Gary Neville called him the best English striker ever, putting him ahead of legends like Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Jimmy Greaves when judged purely as a goalscorer.
There were other telling moments in the game too: an England penalty shout that might have gone their way on another day, and the way substitutes changed the dynamic, but Kane remains the player teams look to when the result is in the balance. Tuchel emphasized that experiences like this build “genuine belief,” and while he was referring to the team, it’s clear Kane is the figure they rally around.
If England are to go all the way, much will depend on him. Mexico’s match at altitude in the Azteca presents more challenges, but with Kane available and in form, England have every reason to believe they can navigate the obstacles ahead. For now, his late double against DR Congo was another reminder of why he is England’s talisman and why he belongs in the discussion among football’s very best.