Prince William joked it was “never in doubt” as England pulled off a late comeback to reach the last 16 of the World Cup. The 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia came after the African side took a shock lead when Brian Cipenga scored after seven minutes.
It took until the 75th minute before skipper Harry Kane pulled England level with a header, then fired home a winner in the 86th minute to the relief of fans back home. William, patron of the Football Association, posted a tongue-in-cheek tribute on Instagram with a winking emoji: “Never in doubt… well done England! Onto the next! W.”
Starmer and Gallagher react
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer signalled his belief that England’s win could lead to World Cup glory. “It might actually be coming home,” he wrote on X. After the match, fans in the stadium serenaded the squad with Oasis’s “Wonderwall”, prompting frontman Liam Gallagher to post: “Cmon England cmon Wonderwall”.
The victory sends England into a last-16 tie on Sunday against co-hosts Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium, one of world football’s most famous venues.
Fans rush home and traffic spikes
Rush hour in major cities was earlier than usual as supporters headed home to watch the match. Figures from TomTom indicate traffic in London and Birmingham was heavier before the 5pm kick-off, then unusually quiet during the game. In London, congestion at 4pm Wednesday was 76%, compared with 73% at the same time Tuesday; by 6pm it fell to 57%, down from 72% a day earlier. In Birmingham, the figure at 4pm was 125%, compared with 100% on Tuesday, and just 53% at 6pm, down from 90%.
EE said mobile network data showed an all-time record peak in traffic, 42% higher than the same time on an average Wednesday. Virgin Media reported: “The first half was the biggest spike on our mobile network ever – 19% more than the previous record.”
Fan reactions: nerves and belief
England fans at the Atlanta Stadium were glad of the air-conditioning. Supporter Dave Simmons, of Penrith, Cumbria, said he was “shot to pieces” after the nervy win. “It’s the normal, stressful England situation isn’t it? Kane is fantastic in the box but you’ve got to get him in the box. We were struggling for 60-odd minutes and we got a break. The keeper made four wonderful saves but he screwed it up for the equaliser. Then, what a finish. Come on Harry Kane.”
Spencer Dalby, 21, of Huddersfield, told PA: “What annoys me about England is it takes so much time to tap into the belief. Once we tap into the belief and the passion and the positive attitude – look at us, we’re unstoppable. But you’ve seen it in the first and second game – we’re stale, we sit back. Then, all of a sudden, we turn our engine on and look at us now, we’re going all the way – honestly – and I’m going all the way as well. My finances are in ruin – my grandma will be getting a phone call in a minute – ‘can I borrow £4,000 for a World Cup final ticket?’”
Tony Woods, from St Helens, believes England will beat Mexico but admitted he is “worried”. “We struggled first half but once Harry got that one, there was only one winner. Do you know what, I watched Mexico last night and was a bit worried. But I just think we’ve got a bit of dog in us and we’ll do it. I wouldn’t say I’m not nervous, but I think we’ll do it 2-1 against Mexico, no problem.”
Watch parties and hydration breaks
Back home, many fans slipped away from work early. At a Wembley watch party, Stuart Stevens, 36, called England’s defence “shocking” at half-time. “That was the best England that we had in a while and they’re playing crap together.” A big cheer went up when Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon were subbed on early in the second half. As the final whistle blew, an Oasis cover band took the stage.
Barry Hearst, 48, declared victory was “never in doubt” and credited the much-maligned hydration breaks for helping England, who “struggled” in the first half. “There was boos from the England fans but I think yeah it definitely helped us.”
