1 July World Cup Recap: Kane Passes Pelé, Belgium Pull Off the Impossible — My Verdict

There are nights at a World Cup that feel like a midweek formality, and then there are nights like 1 July. Three Round of 32 ties, three stories that belong in a book. Harry Kane passed Pelé’s all-time World Cup goal tally with a brace that rescued England from an embarrassing exit. Belgium produced the most absurd comeback I have witnessed at a major tournament — from 2-0 down with five minutes of normal time left to a 3-2 extra-time win sealed by the latest goal in men’s World Cup history. And the USA, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, lost their striker Folarin Balogun to a red card that rules him out of the Round of 16. Sitting in front of the screen in the small hours Irish time, I am genuinely struggling to pick which result matters most. So I will cover all three.

England 2-1 DR Congo: Kane’s Quiet Rescue Act

England made hard work of this. Cipenga gave DR Congo the lead in the 7th minute with a header that had Roy Keane muttering about defensive organisation on the Sky Sports panel, and for the best part of an hour Gareth Southgate’s replacement — interim boss Lee Carsley — was staring at a genuine shock exit. Then Harry Kane happened.

His 75th-minute equaliser, a poacher’s finish from a Bellingham cut-back, was his 12th World Cup goal — level with Pelé. His 86th-minute winner, a penalty dispatched into the bottom corner after a handball in the area, was his 13th — one clear of the Brazilian legend. At 32, Kane is now the third-highest scorer in men’s World Cup history behind Miroslav Klose (16) and Lionel Messi (who sits on 16 too, after this tournament’s group stage). He passed Gary Lineker as England’s all-time World Cup scorer against Panama on 27 June; now he has passed Pelé on the global list. That is a career paragraph, not a footnote.

My performance grade: 6.5/10. England were poor for 70 minutes and relied on individual brilliance. Kane was a 10; the team around him was a 5. The market has them at 7/1 to 17/2 (8.00-9.50 in decimal) as of 2 July to win the tournament, and after another unconvincing collective display I still think that is about right — they are not a price I want to back, but Kane alone keeps the ceiling high enough that I would not lay them either.

England face Mexico in the Round of 16 on 5 July. I will have a full preview closer to that date.

Belgium 3-2 Senegal (a.e.t.): The Greatest Comeback I Have Seen at a World Cup

I do not use the word "greatest" lightly, and I am aware of Cameroon 1990, South Korea 2002 and the rest. But consider the facts. Belgium were 2-0 down after 51 minutes — Habib Diarra (25′) and Ismaïla Sarr (51′) had Senegal cruising towards a place in the Round of 16. With five minutes of normal time left, at 85 minutes, Belgium were still 2-0 down. Then Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute, Youri Tielemans equalised in the 89th, and the game went to extra time.

Extra time produced its own drama, both sides hitting the woodwork, before the decisive moment arrived in the 120th minute of added time. A VAR review — the longest of the tournament — awarded Belgium a penalty for a challenge on Tielemans inside the area. The same Tielemans stepped up and converted at 120 minutes and 5 seconds of play — 124 minutes and 44 seconds of actual elapsed match time. That is the latest goal ever scored in the history of the men’s World Cup.

The pundits were divided. "I genuinely don’t believe that’s a penalty," Gary Neville said on Sky Sports. "It’s very, very harsh," Roy Keane agreed. "You want conviction in the referee’s decision, and he was certainly hesitating a long time." Whether you agree with the call or not, the drama was undeniable.

My performance grade: 9/10 for sheer theatre. Belgium are not a side I would back to win the tournament — they are out at 35/1 (36.00) in the outright market and that tells you where they sit — but they showed enough fight to make their Round of 16 tie against the USA on 6 July genuinely interesting.

USA 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina: The Win That Came With a Cost

On the surface, a clean 2-0 win. Balogun opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time (45′), Malik Tillman added a second with a lovely free kick in the 81st minute, and Bosnia were never in it. The United States are through to the Round of 16 as hosts and the feel-good story continues.

Except it does not, quite. Balogun was shown a straight red card in the 64th minute after a VAR review for a stamp, and he is now automatically banned for the Round of 16 tie against Belgium on 6 July. "For me, never is it a red card," said head coach Mauricio Pochettino afterwards. "Never was there intention to step on the player." Pochettino’s frustration was obvious, and the loss of Balogun — the side’s leading scorer in qualifying — is a genuine blow.

My performance grade: 7/10 for the result, 4/10 for the discipline. The USA are 25/1 (26.00) in the outright market, and without Balogun against a Belgian side that has just shown it can come back from the dead, I would not be backing them at that price for the tournament. If you held a USA futures slip, the Belgium tie just became significantly harder.

My Verdict: What to Do With Your Slip

The outright market has barely moved on the back of these results, and that feels correct. France remain clear favourites at 37/20 to 13/5 (2.85-3.60) depending on your bookmaker — and there is a notable split between FanDuel and FOX on that price, so shop around. Argentina sit second at 4/1 (5.00-5.10), Spain at 7/1 (8.00), and England level with them at 7/1 to 17/2 (8.00-9.50).

If you are looking for an angle from last night, mine is this: Belgium vs USA on 6 July is the Round of 16 tie where the market is most likely to misprice one side. Belgium have momentum and madness in equal measure; the USA have home support but no Balogun. I will be watching those lines very closely and will have a detailed match preview before kick-off.

For now, the focus turns to today — three more Round of 32 ties, headlined by Portugal vs Croatia and a match that could be the last World Cup game for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić. My 2 July best bets are live, and for the bigger picture, my odds verdict has the full outright rankings.

Irish readers: the late kick-offs last night finished well after 4am IST, and tonight’s card runs even later — Portugal vs Croatia at midnight, Switzerland vs Algeria at 4am. Pace your stakes and your sleep. I have been getting sharp early prices with Boomerang Bet and Spinit this week, but check the live line before committing.

Odds are fractional (decimal in brackets) and accurate as of 2 July 2026. Lines move — confirm before you stake. Please bet responsibly.