Gordon compares Kane to Messi after England captain rescues World Cup campaign against DR Congo

Harry Kane rescued England’s 2026 World Cup campaign with two late goals against the Democratic Republic of Congo, turning a 1-0 deficit into victory and setting up a last-16 tie against host nation Mexico. Anthony Gordon, introduced from the bench, provided both assists and afterwards compared Kane’s sustained output to that of Lionel Messi.

England were facing a humiliating exit with less than 15 minutes remaining when Gordon’s delivery found Kane, who headed home an equaliser. The captain then unleashed what Gordon described as an inevitable finish — a drive into the top corner that sealed the comeback.

“As soon as he hit the second goal, I knew it was going in. I was already celebrating,” Gordon said.

The Newcastle winger was keen to stress that it was Kane’s relentlessness, rather than the quality of either strike, that most impressed him. “It’s more the consistency that he surprised me with. Anyone can score a good goal, anyone at this level can put the ball in the top corner. This is the consistency that he does it — every day in training, every game. He is phenomenal. He plays at such a high, high level.”

Gordon then placed Kane in the most rarefied company. “He’s having a season that’s only ever been beaten by Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer of all time. So that speaks to the level he’s playing at.”

He added that sharing a dressing room with Kane had become a daily education. “When you’re around someone like that, you want to pick up as many habits and watch everything he does to see why he’s at that level. It’s no accident — there’s consistency every day, how hard he works, every finishing drill. He does it with passion, he does it with seriousness. He never ever messes about. He’s definitely an inspiration to all of us.”

The win, however, exposed defensive frailties that will concern England’s coaching staff ahead of a daunting assignment at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium, where altitude will add another layer of difficulty against the tournament’s co-hosts.

Gordon, though, insisted the squad is in a positive frame of mind. “I’m really excited. It’s an amazing game of football, probably a once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere and environment, so I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve got a great team, we faced adversity, we hold each other accountable — we’re in a great place and we have good momentum.”