Kane, Tielemans and the USA with ten men: a night at WC-2026

The night of July 1–2 delivered three comebacks in the WC-2026 match schedule (Kyiv time): England overturned a 0:1 deficit thanks to a Harry Kane brace on the 75th and 86th minutes, Belgium flipped a 0:2 scoreline in extra time to knock out Senegal, and the USA claimed their first World Cup knockout-stage win since 2002 — all while playing with ten men after Balogun's red card.

Night's results

England — DR Congo 2:1 (kick-off 19:00 Kyiv time, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)

Congo stunned England as early as the 7th minute: Bryan Sipenga broke through one-on-one after a pass from Chancel Mbemba, rounded Jed Spence and beat Jordan Pickford at the near post. Thomas Tuchel's side pressed throughout the match, but goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi repeatedly kept his team in it. The turning point came after a hydration break: on the 75th minute Anthony Gordon delivered a cross and Kane headed home to level. Eleven minutes later the Three Lions captain received a pass from Gordon on the edge of the penalty area, turned and fired into the top corner — 2:1. Kane brought his World Cup tally to 13 goals, drawing level with Just Fontaine in sixth place on the all-time list. It was England's first win in a World Cup knockout match in which they had been trailing at half-time.

Belgium — Senegal 3:2 (a.e.t.) (kick-off 23:00 Kyiv time, Lumen Field, Seattle)

Senegal dominated for most of the match and led 2:0: Habib Diarra opened the scoring by tapping in the rebound after Ismaïla Sarr's shot hit the post, and Sarr himself doubled the lead early in the second half. It seemed the Teranga Lions were comfortably marching into the Round of 16, but on the 86th minute Romelu Lukaku converted a cut-back pass from six metres out — 1:2. Three minutes later Youri Tielemans headed into an empty net after goalkeeper Mory Diaw failed to hold a lofted delivery — 2:2. In extra time, on the 119th minute, following a lengthy VAR review the referee awarded a penalty for Lamine Camara's foul on Tielemans. Belgium's captain stepped up and converted the spot kick himself — 3:2. The VAR decision remains controversial.

USA — Bosnia and Herzegovina 2:0 (kick-off 03:00 Kyiv time, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara)

Folarin Balogun opened the scoring on the 45th minute, converting the rebound off a deflection from a defender — his third goal of the tournament. On the 64th minute, following a VAR review, Brazilian referee Raphael Claus showed Balogun a straight red card for dangerous play (stepping on the foot of Tarik Muharemović). Head coach Mauricio Pochettino disputed the decision: "For me that was never a red card. There was no intent to cause harm." Down to ten men, the Americans did not give up: on the 82nd minute Malik Tillman curled a precise free kick through the wall — 2:0. The USA claimed their first World Cup knockout win since 2002 and beat a European side at a World Cup for the first time since that same year.

Tournament schedule

All three matches were part of the Round of 32, so the group-stage tables are now final. The night's results have determined the new Round of 16 pairings: England will face Mexico at Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), Belgium will face the USA at Lumen Field in Seattle on July 6, while DR Congo, Senegal and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been eliminated from the tournament. For more on previous knockout results, see the article "Brazil at 90+5, Paraguay knock out Germany, Morocco beat the Netherlands: Round of 32 night".

Off the pitch

Balogun suspended for the match against Belgium. The automatic ban for a red card took effect immediately. The US Soccer Federation stated it would only consider an appeal if the suspension were extended beyond one match — FIFA confirmed to ESPN that the minimum punishment cannot be appealed. Balogun became the first player to score a goal and receive a red card in the same World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final.
Edin Džeko retires from international football. The 40-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina captain and all-time leading scorer for his country suffered a right-leg injury early in the second half and left the pitch. After the match, coach Sergej Barbarez did not rule out that it was Džeko's last appearance for the national team.
VAR decision in Belgium — Senegal. The penalty awarded on the 119th minute after a video review sparked fierce debate: ESPN published a dedicated VAR breakdown questioning whether Belgium deserved the spot kick. No official comment from FIFA had been issued at the time of publication.
Kane — sixth all-time top scorer at the World Cup. After his brace against DR Congo, Harry Kane has 13 World Cup goals, drawing level with Just Fontaine. Only five players are ahead of him, including Messi (16) and Mbappé (15, after his goals against Sweden).

Today, July 2, the WC-2026 match schedule (Kyiv time) features three Round of 32 fixtures: Spain — Austria (22:00 Kyiv time), Portugal — Croatia (02:00, July 3) and Switzerland — Algeria (06:00, July 3).