Belgium rally, Harry Kane brace and VAR penalty row shape World Cup knockout picture

Belgium's comeback and Harry Kane's finishing dominated the World Cup conversation on July 1, after Belgium overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Senegal 3-2, England rallied past DR Congo 2-1, and the United States defeated Bosnia 2-0. Belgium are now through to meet the USA, while England move on after turning the game late.

Coach Germaine Thomas said Belgium manager Rudy Garcia changed the contest with bold second-half substitutions after his team went two goals down. Thomas pointed to the decision to remove Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne and introduce fresh attackers, arguing that the changes added speed and cleaner transitions. He also highlighted Romelu Lukaku's presence off the bench and Yuri Tielemans' two-goal contribution as key reasons Belgium recovered.

The winning penalty was the main flashpoint. Former FIFA referee Victor Stewart said officials handled a difficult slate fairly well from open play, even though two major calls were overturned after video review. On the Tielemans incident, Stewart said he would not have given a penalty because, in his view, the Senegal defender was already moving to clear the ball and the Belgian midfielder "initiated the contact" by stepping across him.

Thomas said DR Congo and Senegal will both regret how their matches slipped away. He argued that African teams have been conceding late in the tournament and said the pattern should be examined "seriously," whether the issue is structure, discipline or unclear messages from the bench. In England's case, Kane's brace settled the result after Congo had protected their lead for more than 70 minutes.

Former Trinidad and Tobago defender Brent Sancho agreed that Congo defended solidly for long stretches, but said Kane is the kind of striker who punishes even a small lapse. Looking ahead, he said the United States may start as favourites against Belgium, but warned that Belgium still have enough quality to trouble any side if they break pressure and attack with conviction. England are also set for a knockout meeting with Mexico.