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For 75 minutes on July 1, 2026, English football looked like it was heading for one of its most humiliating exits in World Cup history. Down 1-0 to DR Congo in the Round of 32 in Atlanta, the Three Lions were staring at early elimination from a tournament they’d spent years preparing for.
Then Harry Kane remembered he’s Harry Kane.
The England captain equalized in the 75th minute before adding a second in the 86th, turning a funeral into a party and sending England through to face co-host Mexico in the Round of 16. The 2-1 comeback was the kind of dramatic storyline that makes the World Cup the most-watched sporting event on the planet.
The match that almost ended everything
DR Congo struck early. Brian Cipenga found the net in the 7th minute, silencing whatever English contingent had made the trip to Atlanta and sending shockwaves through a fanbase that has spent decades perfecting the art of tournament heartbreak.
Kane’s equalizer in the 75th minute was the pressure valve release. His second, 11 minutes later, was the dagger. A brace from a captain who has built a career on delivering when the margins are thinnest.
England now advance to meet Mexico, one of three co-hosts for the 2026 tournament alongside the US and Canada.
Kraken’s World Cup gamble
Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 back on June 9, a deal that included fan-focused activations across North America and Europe.
The crypto industry has learned some expensive lessons about sponsorship over the past few years. FTX’s naming rights deal with the Miami Heat arena aged about as well as milk in the sun. Crypto.com’s $700 million deal to rename the Staples Center drew skepticism even before the broader market downturn.
What this means for crypto markets
There were no notable market movements in any digital assets tied directly to the England-DR Congo match. No token pumps, no trading volume spikes, no on-chain activity worth flagging.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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