World Cup Roundup: USA Moves On Despite Balogun’s Red; Kane Rescues England

Two goals, a red card and a 24-year-old streak broken — and that was just in the United States’ first knockout stage match of the tournament. Between that and two more unforgettable comeback wins from England and Belgium, it was a day at the World Cup to remember.

Here’s the best of Match Day 21 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Moment Of The Day

Down a man and with a trip to the round of 16 on the line, the USA found a hero in Malik Tillman. 

The USA found itself up on Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 thanks to Folarin Balogun’s first-half goal in round of 32 action, but the second half became tense after Balogun was given a red card. In the 82nd minute, Tillman threaded a free kick over Bosnia’s wall. 

A huge moment after Balogun’s red card had left the U.S. on its heels. A huge way to respond to seal the win and ensure that the USA would win its first knockout game since 2002. It’s now on to Seattle and a date with Belgium with a quarterfinals spot on the line.

Goal Of The Day

England needed someone to step up in the second half against DR Congo, and it’s no surprise who did.

The Three Lions’ all-time-leading goalscorer bagged the equalizer in the 75th minute on a header, and then he scored a banger in the 86th to win the game. Both goals were assisted by substitute Anthony Gordon, whose pass for the second goal put Kane at the top of the 18-yard box. There was work to do from there, though, and the England captain created space and unleashed an unstoppable effort that not even DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi could stop amidst an impressive performance. (More on that later.)

Assist Of The Day

Kane will deservedly get all the headlines following his heroic performance against DR Congo, but Gordon’s lobbed cross was exactly where it needed to be on Kane’s first goal, and that assist ultimately sparked England’s comeback.

Gordon assisted on both of Harry Kane’s goals, becoming the first England player in World Cup history to be directly involved in more than one goal as a substitute.

Save Of The Day

Mpasi had an eventful first half, from preserving DR Congo’s lead with multiple impressive saves to almost conceding a penalty.

Mpasi’s best save came when Jude Bellingham came flying in for a header after a cross from midfielder Declan Rice. Mpasi reacted quickly and got his left hand up in time to maintain the 1-0 lead for his country.

The save was so impressive that Bellingham even gave Mpasi props moments later.

England vs. DR Congo

• Harry Kane’s 86th-minute goal was England’s latest game-winning goal ever in regular time of a knockout-stage match at the World Cup.
• Kane is the first English player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker vs Cameroon in 1990.
• Kane made his 15th World Cup start, the most for any men’s outfield player for England. He also made his 90th start for England as captain, tying Bobby Moore and Billy Wright for most starts as captain.
• England hadn’t won a men’s World Cup match after conceding first since the 1966 final against Germany.
• England attempted 35 crosses from open play today. That’s its most in a World Cup game since 1966, when it attempted 37 in the group stage against Mexico.
• DR Congo lost in its first ever knockout stage appearance at the World Cup, despite scoring first in a World Cup match for the first time ever.

Belgium vs. Senegal

• The Belgians became the first team to come back from a two-goal deficit in a World Cup knockout-stage match since they did it in 2018 against Japan in the round of 16.
• Senegal has only advanced once in its three knockout stage appearances at the World Cup. That came in 2002, when it reached the quarterfinals.
• Belgium is unbeaten in 17 straight games since March 2025 at 11W-6D-0L, the second-longest run in team history, behind a 24-game streak from Sept. 2016 to July 2018, ending with the World Cup semifinal loss to France.
• Romelu Lukaku scored his seventh World Cup goal, extending his record for the most ever by a Belgian player.
• This was the first time Senegal had ever scored two or more goals in three straight World Cup games.

USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

• The United States advanced in a knockout stage match at the World Cup for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals in 2002. This is just the second-ever knockout stage win at the World Cup for the U.S.
• The U.S. will play Belgium in the round of 16 on July 6 at Seattle Stadium. It’s a rematch of the 2014 round of 16 clash between the two countries, which Belgium won in overtime after Tim Howard set the all-time record for saves in a single World Cup match.
• The U.S. has won three matches at a World Cup for the first time ever under Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino is now 17W-2D-11L as the United States’ manager.
• The U.S. snapped a 10-game losing streak against European teams since drawing England at the 2022 World Cup. The U.S. has two wins in its last 14 matches against European opponents, both coming against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Folarin Balogun became the first player to score a goal and register a red card in a World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane against Italy in the 2006 Final.