Thomas Tuchel likened England’s comeback win over DR Congo to «knocking on a rock until it breaks», praising his side’s resilience after the Three Lions recovered from an early deficit to win 2-1 to book a round of 16 tie against Mexico.
Harry Kane, whose second-half brace completed England’s turnaround, said the result was a reminder that knockout football required both belief and perspective. “It was a crazy game and it’s really nice how we came back,” Kane said. “Personally, it’s great to help the team get over the line. There’s still a few hours left because it was an early kick-off, so hopefully everyone is celebrating in the pub and doing well at home too.”
Kane asked his boys to enjoy the moment, saying: «I will tell the boys to enjoy this. Sometimes you forget that as one of the bigger countries. Then we will recover and prepare for Mexico in Mexico. It will be a great match.»
Tuchel admitted England’s aggressive pressing caused problems in the opening stages, allowing DR Congo to exploit spaces and take a deserved lead.
READ | Kane helps England complete thrilling comeback win over fearless DR Congo
“We gave in early because we didn’t keep the press properly informed in the first 20 minutes,” he said. «They found open spaces to accelerate and create problems. We were too aggressive, especially on the left, and sometimes found ourselves outnumbered in midfield. Once we adjusted that and became a bit more patient and intelligent with our pressing, we started to create chances.»
The England coach felt the momentum shifted after the hydration break in the first half, even if he is not a fan of the interruptions.
“I don’t like hydration breaks because I like football when it flows freely,” Tuchel said. «But today we tried to make the best of it. Sometimes everyone has a message, and then it becomes chaotic. Today the players remained calm.»
England created a series of chances but were repeatedly denied by DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi before Kane finally leveled. “The goalkeeper was out of this world,” said Tuchel. «It was a difficult match against a team that played with a lot of discipline and connection. But the players did not accept defeat as an outcome.
“The message at half-time was to keep knocking and not give in. You keep knocking on the stone until it breaks.”
Tuchel said England’s comeback from scoring in a World Cup knockout match for the first time since the 1966 World Cup final reflected the character developing within his squad.
“When the going got tough, they showed up,” he said. “We trusted our minds and brought the right energy into the stadium and the locker room.”
England now travel to Mexico City, where they will meet the hosts at the Azteca Stadium. “The height will be a big disadvantage,” Tuchel admitted. “You can’t adapt to that in four days, but we have to be ready for it.”
He also laughed off suggestions that the world’s elite attackers were feeding off each other’s exploits. “I don’t know if the big boys look at each other and one person scores and the next one follows,” he said. «But they are all sharks. Harry, Mbappe, Haaland, Messi – if they smell blood, they will all come and score. Harry’s second today was a beautiful goal.»
Before leaving, Tuchel had one last request for the England supporters at home. “Write an excuse for school and let them watch football,” he smiled. «School is every day. The World Cup comes once every four years.»
Published on July 2, 2026
