Kane equals Fontaine in dramatic England escape

Harry Kane's place among the great World Cup goalscorers is no longer a matter of debate. It is now written into the history books.

The England captain drew level with France legend Just Fontaine on 13 World Cup goals as his brace rescued the Three Lions from a seismic upset against the Democratic Republic of Congo, sending Thomas Tuchel's side into the last 16 with a dramatic 2-1 victory in Atlanta on Wednesday.

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England were staring at one of the darkest nights in their World Cup history after Brian Cipenga's early strike left the 1966 winners chasing the game and, for long spells, short of ideas.

Then Kane did what the greatest strikers invariably do.

Already England's all-time leading World Cup scorer, the 31-year-old first spun away from his marker to power home Anthony Gordon's cross with a 75th-minute header before completing the turnaround 11 minutes later, rifling another Gordon pass emphatically into the back of the net.

Those two moments not only spared England humiliation but also saw Kane match the remarkable tally Fontaine produced in just six matches at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden – a record for goals scored in a single edition that still stands today.

Kane's latest brace also moved him onto five goals at this tournament, keeping him firmly in the hunt for the Golden Boot, while his second was his 84th goal for England. He has now scored a remarkable 72 goals for club and country this season.

"We spoke about people having hero moments; it could be anyone in the team," a smiling Kane said after the match.

"A save from Jordan Pickford, a block from a defender, whoever it is. We have hero moments, and for me it was the day."

It had looked anything but Kane's day for more than an hour.

England dominated possession but lacked incision before Tuchel threw on Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze in a desperate attempt to rescue the contest.

Gordon transformed the match. His first delivery allowed Kane to restore parity. His second released England's captain once more, and this time Kane needed only a split second to remind everyone why he remains one of football's deadliest finishers.

For DR Congo, defeat ended a fairytale return to the World Cup after 52 years.

Mexico now await the Three Lions at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, and while Kane once again proved capable of deciding the biggest moments, England know they cannot continue relying solely on their captain if they are to realise their ambitions of lifting the trophy.