Head coach Thomas Tuchel likened England’s comeback victory over DR Congo to “knocking at a rock until it breaks”, praising his side’s resilience after the Three Lions recovered from an early deficit to win 2-1 and book a round-of-16 meeting with Mexico.

England created a string of chances but was repeatedly denied by DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi before Harry Kane finally levelled. “The goalkeeper was out of this world,” Tuchel said. “It was a difficult match against a team that played with a lot of discipline and connection. But the players didn’t accept defeat as an outcome. The message at half-time was to keep knocking and not give in. You keep knocking at the rock until it breaks.”

Tuchel admitted that England’s “aggressive pressing” caused it problems in the opening stages, allowing DR Congo to exploit the spaces and take a deserved lead.

“We conceded early because we didn’t get our press right in the first 20 minutes,” he said. “DR Congo found open spaces to accelerate and create problems. We were too aggressive, especially on the left side, and sometimes ended up outnumbered in midfield. Once we adjusted that and became a bit more patient and intelligent with our press, we started creating chances.”

The chief coach said England’s comeback from a goal down in a World Cup knockout match for the first time since the 1966 final reflected the character developing within his squad. “When the going got tough, they showed up. We trusted our spirit and brought the right energy into the stadium and the dressing room.”

Kane, whose second-half brace completed England’s turnaround, felt that the result was a reminder that knockout football demanded both belief and perspective. “It was a crazy game and it’s very pleasing to see the way we came back,” Kane said. “Personally, it’s great to help the team over the line. I’ll tell the boys to enjoy this.”

Tough test ahead

England will next head to Mexico City, where it will face the co-host at the Azteca Stadium. “The altitude will be a huge disadvantage,” Tuchel admitted. “You can’t adjust to that in four days, but we have to be ready.”

Before leaving, Tuchel had one request for England supporters back home. “Write an excuse for school and let them watch football,” the manager smiled. “School is every day. The World Cup comes once every four years.”