Harry Kane reminded the world why he’s one of the most reliable strikers on the planet. The England captain scored twice against Croatia on June 17, putting himself level with Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
The brace came in Kane’s 12th World Cup appearance, a milestone that carries extra weight given the caliber of names he’s now standing alongside. Lineker’s record had been the benchmark for English forwards in the tournament for decades. Kane just pulled up next to it like it was inevitable.
The details of Kane’s performance
One of Kane’s two goals came from a retaken penalty. For most strikers, missing a penalty and then having to step up again is a psychological minefield. Kane simply slotted it home, which tells you everything about his temperament under pressure.
The brace brings his combined total for club and country this season to 10 goals. That number spans his time with Bayern Munich and now the 2026 World Cup, which kicked off in mid-June across venues in North America.
