The drama of the 2026 FIFA World Cup reached a fever pitch as England, Belgium, and the co-host United States all punched their tickets to the highly anticipated Round of 16.
In a day defined by high stakes, spectacular comebacks, and extra-time thrills, three of the tournament’s heavyweight contenders kept their championship dreams alive in dramatic fashion.
England kicked off the day’s action by overcoming an early scare against a resilient Democratic Republic of Congo side to secure a 2-1 victory.
The Leopards shocked the Three Lions in just the 7th minute when Brian Cipenga found the back of the net to give the underdogs an early lead.
However, England’s talismanic captain Harry Kane took charge in the second half, netting a brilliant double to reverse the deficit and ensure his side’s safe passage into the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, Belgium pulled off one of the tournament’s most breathtaking escapes, defeating Senegal 3-2 after extra time.
The Teranga Lions seemed firmly in control after Habib Diarra poked home the opening goal in the 25th minute, and Ismaila Sarr doubled the West Africans’ advantage just six minutes into the second half.
Yet, the Red Devils refused to go down quietly. With a mere four minutes left on the clock, substitute Romelu Lukaku and skipper Youri Tielemans struck in quick succession to dramatically level the score.
Tielemans then cemented his hero status in extra time, coolly converting a penalty to complete the historic comeback and send the Belgian fans into euphoria.
Over in California, co-hosts the United States of America put on a clinical display, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to electrify the home crowd.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side looked sharp and disciplined from the whistle, with Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman scoring in each half to comfortably secure the win.
The clinical victory sets up a mouthwatering, high-stakes Round of 16 clash between the United States and Belgium.
