Kane breaks Lineker's long-standing record
England captain Harry Kane became the nation's all-time leading goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history after netting his 11th goal in the tournament during a 2-0 victory over Panama in the group stage. The milestone moved him past Gary Lineker, who had held the England men's record of 10 World Cup goals since 1990.
Match details and goal description
Kane's historic goal came in the 68th minute at the stadium in London, where he headed home a pinpoint cross from Jude Bellingham to double England's lead. Bellingham had opened the scoring six minutes earlier, reacting quickest inside the penalty area after a corner to steer the ball home at the near post. The first half had ended goalless as Panama's defense held firm.
Lineker's congratulations
Following the match, Gary Lineker posted a picture of the record on his Instagram story, writing: "Many congratulations @harrykane. Well played." Lineker had held the England men's World Cup scoring record since the 1990 tournament in Italy, where he scored four goals to bring his total to 10.
England's group stage performance
The victory ensured England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, finished top of Group L with seven points. They began their campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia, followed by a goalless draw against Ghana. England will now face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time).
Kane's international career milestones
The 32-year-old Bayern Munich striker now has 18 goals across major international tournaments for England. He remains the country's all-time leading scorer with 82 goals in 117 appearances. Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia with six goals as England reached the semifinals. He scored twice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but missed a crucial penalty in the quarterfinal defeat to France.
All-time World Cup scoring charts
Kane's 11 World Cup goals draw him level with Germany's Jurgen Klinsmann and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis in the tournament's all-time scoring list. He is firmly in contention to become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot twice. In the ongoing tournament, he has three goals, trailing Lionel Messi's five, while Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele and Vinicius Junior have four each.
Prolific season for club and country
The England skipper arrives in the knockout rounds in prolific form, having amassed 70 goals for club and country during a remarkable season with Bayern Munich and England. His consistent scoring has been a key factor in England's strong performances in major tournaments.
