The 2026 World Cup has already delivered a highlight reel worth of superstar moments in its first week. Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace. Erling Haaland answered with two of his own. Lionel Messi raised the bar with a hat trick Tuesday night. On Wednesday, England captain Harry Kane stepped onto the field in a tricky group-stage opener against Croatia — and quietly made history.
Kane didn’t waste any time. He buried a penalty in the 12th minute, then powered home a header in the 42nd to give England a 2-1 lead heading into the break. That second strike was his 10th goal in World Cup competition — tying Gary Lineker for the most all-time by an Englishman, according to StatsCentre.
Lineker set that record across two World Cups (1986 and 1990). Kane has now matched it in his third tournament, with at least two group-stage matches still to play. Given his current form, the outright lead feels inevitable.
The numbers are staggering. Kane scored 36 goals in 31 appearances for Bayern Munich this season. For England, he has 81 goals in 115 international caps. Since 2018, he has been arguably the most consistent pure striker in world football — and this World Cup is proving that his game travels.
But Wednesday night wasn’t just about Kane. Croatia fought back to level the score at 2-2 just before halftime, forcing England to reset. Jude Bellingham answered almost immediately after the restart, slotting home in the 47th minute to restore England’s lead. Marcus Rashford sealed the result with a composed finish late in the second half, giving England a 4-2 victory.
England now sits atop Group L on goal differential, though Ghana matched their three points after a late win over Panama on Wednesday evening. The Three Lions face Ghana on Tuesday, then close group play against Panama on June 27. The knockout stage is the clear objective — and Kane is the engine driving that ambition.
There’s a calmness about this England squad that wasn’t always present in past tournaments. Kane’s record-tying moment didn’t feel like a burden — it felt like a logical next step. For a player who has carried the weight of a football-crazed nation for years, matching Lineker’s mark might be just the start of something bigger.
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