World Cup round-up: England undergo harm scare, DR Congo tragedy and pitch invaders
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The round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup saw England, Belgium and the USA all book their places in the last 16, while DR Congo manager Sebastien Desabre suffered a personal tragedy
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 01: Harry Kane #9 of England celebrates with teammate Jude Bellingham #10 after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between England and Congo DR at Atlanta Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
The knockout stages are well underway as the Three Lions roared in action on Wednesday evening – surviving an almighty scare against DR Congo as England came from behind to win.
However, there was tragedy for the African side following the final whistle as Sebastien Desabre learned of his father’s sudden death, cutting his post-match press conference short.
Elsewhere, Belgium produced an all-time World Cup comeback against Senegal, winning the game thanks to a controversial penalty. While, the USA continue their dream run at their home World Cup after beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0.
Three Lions’ injury scare
Declan Rice ices his quad after coming off during England vs DR Congo
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England narrowly avoided a major upset in the round of 32 by overturning a 1-0 deficit to claim a tense 2-1 triumph against DR Congo in Atlanta.
Following Brian Cipenga’s early opener for DR Congo, skipper Harry Kane stepped up as the saviour by striking a vital late double to rescue the Three Lions. And England were almost dealt a double blow with an injury to Declan Rice.
Rice confirmed he is “good as gold” after being withdrawn late in the contest. Rice was seen applying ice to his leg following his substitution by John Stones, but he assured supporters that the measure was merely due to the punishing 30-degree conditions.
DR Congo tragedy
Sebastien Desabre suffered a personal tragedy
After the fixture, DR Congo boss Sebastien Desabre learned of his father’s sudden death when it was abruptly revealed to the world at the conclusion of his post-match press conference.
A clearly stunned Desabre simply responded with a quiet “Merci” before promptly leaving the room at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
His DR Congo side had put in a solid defensive display, and almost stunned the Three Lions before two moments of magic from England’s captain Harry Kane.
Belgium’s controversialcomeback
Belgium were awarded a late penalty vs Senegal in extra time(Image: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
In another round of 32 encounter, Belgium fought back from a two-goal disadvantage to claim a thrilling 3-2 extra-time triumph over Senegal in Seattle.
Senegal had initially established a commanding advantage through strikes from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr before Romelu Lukaku ignited the European nation’s fightback in the 86th minute.
Tension reached its peak in the 125th minute of extra time when Belgium skipper Youri Tielemans was brought down in the penalty box by Lamine Camara. After a prolonged VAR check, Tielemans coolly slotted home the resulting penalty to clinch victory.
Pape Gueye has downed tools from international duty, triggering a dispute with head coach Pape Thiaw. He said: “l’Il be back to give you a few words regarding elimination… but l announce today that as long as it’s this technical staff l’II take a break from the selection.”
Pitch invaders
A number of pitch invaders stormed the pitch(Image: Fran Santiago, Getty Images)
The match was temporarily stopped in the 31st minute when three individuals, believed to be social media influencers, stormed onto the pitch.
Play was momentarily suspended while up to five security personnel pursued and tackled the protesters, with live broadcasters swiftly switching away from the chaotic scenes.
Mixed feelings for USA
Co-hosts the United States also secured their spot in the round of 16 with a gritty 2-0 triumph over Bosnia and Herzegovina in San Francisco.
Folarin Balogun broke the deadlock for the USA in the first half but left his teammates in disarray after being shown a red card in the 64th minute, leaving Mauricio Pochettino absolutely incensed.
History was made by the co-hosts: Despite being down to 10 players, the USA team clinched the victory when Malik Tillman netted a superb free-kick in the 82nd minute, setting up a last-16 showdown with Belgium.
