Kane overtakes Lineker: England’s World Cup record now in his hands

Harry Kane became England’s all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup matches on Saturday, converting a header from Jude Bellingham to double the Three Lions’ lead over Panama. The goal marked Kane’s 11th World Cup strike, surpassing Gary Lineker’s previous record of six from 1986 and four more in 1990. The 32-year-old striker, England captain, needed just 80 seconds to score on his international debut during a Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania in 2015. Since then, he has added 81 more goals in 115 further appearances, including 54 before March 23 when he overtook Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time top scorer. Kane’s World Cup journey began at Russia 2018, where he scored six times. His haul included a hat-trick against Panama and a brace versus Tunisia during the group stage, earning him the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.

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In Qatar four years later, Kane managed only two goals but contributed three assists as England reached the quarter-finals. His consistency across multiple tournaments contrasts with the quieter showing in his second World Cup appearance. Gary Lineker, who held the previous England World Cup scoring record, said on his podcast after Kane matched it during a 4-2 win over Croatia: "Harry Kane is, I think, the greatest English striker we've ever had. I genuinely think that now. His all-around game, that's, for me, what separates him from all the others."

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Kane is now the second England men’s player to score at three different World Cups, joining David Beckham (1998, 2002, 2006). His 11 World Cup goals place him behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (145) and Lionel Messi (122) in international scoring charts. Through 116 appearances for England, Kane has 82 international goals, continuing to chase the all-time record held by Ronaldo.