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2026 World Cup: England survive scare, Belgium stage stunning comeback, USA reach last 16

lemonde.fr

Harry Kane's late double rescued England from a scare — clutch performance under pressure, or just a team that waits for a hero to bail them out?

Clutch Performance TheoryGame TheoryLoss AversionHero Effect

Theory Briefing

  • Harry Kane scored twice late to rescue England, raising the question of whether relying on a single star is a sustainable tournament strategy.
  • Belgium staged a stunning comeback, suggesting the team that scores last often benefits from opponents defending a lead too early.
  • The USA advancing to the last 16 on home soil adds crowd-pressure dynamics to their opponents' decision-making in the knockout round.