World Cup 2026 — July 1 recap: the latest goal ever, and three more into the last 16
Available in USI stayed up for all of it, and I suspect a good chunk of the country did too — the kind of Wednesday night where you promise yourself you’ll go to bed after the England game and then Belgium and Senegal drag you to 1 a.m. Eastern and beyond. Three Round-of-32 ties finished on 1 July, and all three favourites came through: England beat DR Congo 2–1, Belgium edged Senegal 3–2 after extra time, and the USA saw off Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0 with ten men. But the scoreline that will be replayed for years belongs to Youri Tielemans, whose penalty at 124 minutes and 44 seconds is now the latest goal ever scored in a men’s World Cup. Here is the night, from a Canadian couch.
England 2–1 DR Congo — Kane passes Pelé
DR Congo did what a lot of us feared they might and struck first, Cipenga finishing on seven minutes to silence the England end. Then Harry Kane did Harry Kane things. His brace — a poacher’s finish on 75 and a calmer second on 86 — turned the tie and pushed him to 13 World Cup goals, one clear of Pelé (12) on the all-time list. (Kane had already gone past Gary Lineker as England’s outright record World Cup scorer with his 11th, back on 27 June against Panama — that milestone was not last night, whatever the highlight reels suggested.) England march into the Round of 16, where Mexico await on 5 July. (Sources: Sky Sports; England Football; FIFA match centre, 1 July 2026.)
Belgium 3–2 Senegal (a.e.t.) — the latest goal ever
Where do you start. Senegal led 2–0 through Diarra (25′) and Sarr (51′) and were 85 minutes into a famous win. Then Romelu Lukaku pulled one back on 86, Tielemans levelled on 89, and a tie that should have been dead went to extra time and kept going. The winner came in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time in extra time — 124:44 on the clock, awarded after the longest VAR review of the tournament, Tielemans burying the penalty. It is, officially, the latest a goal has ever been scored in men’s World Cup history, and the latest a side has trailed by two in normal time and still avoided defeat.
Not everyone loved the decision. The Sky Sports panel was split down the middle:
"I genuinely don’t believe that’s a penalty." — Gary Neville, Sky Sports
"It’s very, very harsh." — Roy Keane, Sky Sports
Harsh or not, it stands, and Belgium go to the Round of 16 to meet the USA on 6 July. (Sources: FIFA; Sky Sports; Opta Analyst, 1 July 2026.)
USA 2–0 Bosnia — ten men, and a costly red
The co-hosts are through, but they’ll pay for it. Folarin Balogun put the USA ahead right on half-time, then was sent off on 64 minutes after a VAR review — an automatic ban that rules him out of the Round of 16 against Belgium on 6 July. Malik Tillman’s free-kick on 81 settled it against ten men. USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino was unequivocal afterward:
"For me, never is it a red card." — Mauricio Pochettino, ESPN
Bosnia and Herzegovina go home — a result Canadian fans will note, since it was Bosnia that CanMNT opened their group against back on 12 June. (Sources: ESPN; CNN; US Soccer; SI, 1 July 2026.)
The last-16 picture for Canadian eyes
Here is where the bracket stands after Wednesday, with the pairings that matter to us at the top:
| Round of 16 tie | Date (ET) | Canadian hook |
|---|---|---|
| Canada vs Morocco | 4 Jul, 13:00 | Les Rouges’ first-ever WC knockout tie |
| Paraguay vs France | 4 Jul, 17:00 | France the heavy favourite |
| Brazil vs Norway | 5 Jul | Haaland’s first major finals |
| Mexico vs England | 5 Jul | Kane chasing more history |
| USA vs Belgium | 6 Jul | Balogun suspended |
(Source: CBS; Sky Sports bracket, 2 July 2026.)
Canada — who booked their place with a 1–0 win over South Africa, Stephen Eustáquio scoring in the 90+2 — are the story of the weekend. First up: Morocco in Houston, Saturday 4 July, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. We’ve got a full preview of that one up separately.
- Favourites held. England, Belgium and USA all through; DR Congo, Senegal and Bosnia eliminated.
- A record that may never be broken. Tielemans’ 124:44 penalty is the latest goal in men’s World Cup history — and it was contested.
- Kane keeps climbing. 13 World Cup goals now, past Pelé; Mexico next on 5 July.
- USA weakened for the last 16. Balogun’s red card means an automatic ban for the Belgium tie.
- Canada’s turn Saturday. The bracket has cleared; CanMNT vs Morocco headlines the Canadian sporting weekend.
You can follow the full knockout picture on our groups, schedule and bracket hub, and the shifting outright market on the odds and predictions page.
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