1 hour ago
1
Harry Kane scored twice in the first half of England’s World Cup opener against Croatia, bringing his career World Cup tally to 10 goals and pulling level with Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament. England went on to win 4-2 in Arlington, Texas, on June 17, 2026, in a match that also featured goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.
Lineker’s record had stood since the 1990 World Cup in Italy. It took Kane three separate tournaments to match it.
How the match unfolded
Kane’s brace came before halftime. Bellingham added a third early in the second half, and Rashford sealed the result in the 85th minute. Croatia managed two goals of their own.
The England captain won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he scored six goals across the tournament. He has now scored in three different World Cups.
The 4-2 victory positions England strongly in Group L as they look to progress deep into the tournament.
Kane’s path to the record
Lineker scored his 10 World Cup goals across two tournaments: the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he won the Golden Boot with six goals, and the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Kane’s six-goal haul in Russia in 2018 put him on an immediate collision course with the record, and the brace against Croatia completed the job.
At 32, Kane is likely playing in his final World Cup. One more goal and the record is his alone.
The crypto angle: FIFA and Kraken
While there are no crypto tokens directly tied to Kane’s performance or the match result, the 2026 World Cup carries a notable digital asset dimension through FIFA’s partnership with the crypto exchange Kraken.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) · 