Kane Breaks Pelé's Record as Mexico's Joy Turns to Tragedy

The day belonged to goals, history, and grief in equal measure. Harry Kane scored twice against DR Congo to give England a 2-1 win and, in doing so, moved past Pelé's all-time World Cup tally — 13 goals now, and sole ownership of a record that had stood for decades. It was the kind of landmark that arrives rarely, and it arrived on a day when England needed their captain most, having survived what could have been one of the tournament's great upsets in Atlanta. Thomas Tuchel will know his side need to be sharper when they face Mexico at the Azteca.

Mexico's own story carried far more weight than any scoreline could contain. El Tri ended 40 years of knockout-stage failure by beating Ecuador 2-0 at the Azteca, only for the celebrations to turn fatal. Three people died in crowd crushes near the Angel of Independence in Mexico City, where over a million fans had gathered. The joy of a historic result was inseparable from the tragedy that followed it.

Elsewhere, Paraguay produced the day's biggest upset by eliminating Germany in the round of 32, while Belgium survived a dramatic evening against Senegal — coming from two goals down to win 3-2 in extra time. Off the pitch, Alessandro Bastoni was placed under criminal investigation over serious allegations, and FIFA published findings showing a significant rise in racist abuse online during the tournament.