Harry Kane Becomes England’s All-Time Leading World Cup Goalscorer | OneFootball

After scoring against Panama, Harry Kane overtook Gary Lineker to become England men’s all-time leading goalscorer at World Cups.

Heading into England’s final group game against Panama, Harry Kane and Gary Lineker were level on 10 World Cup goals.

After drawing level with Lineker with a brace against Croatia in England’s opening group game, it felt inevitable that Kane would soon claim the record outright.

With history in touching distance, Kane wasted little time. He nodded in England’s second goal against Panama to move clear of Lineker and become the country’s leading scorer on the biggest stage.

Kane’s 11th World Cup goal moves him level with Jürgen Klinsmann and Sándor Kocsis on the tournament’s all-time scoring list; only seven players in history have scored more.

He holds the record for most World Cup penalty goals with five, meaning 45% of his tournament goals have come from the spot.

While that has certainly helped Kane boost his goal-scoring numbers, he is far from your typical penalty-box striker. His World Cup touch map almost resembles that of a box-to-box midfielder more than an out-and-out centre-forward, reflecting his willingness to drop deep, link play and create for others.

Kane is the epitome of a team player, unselfish and intelligent, while also being one of the most clinical finishers in world football.

All 11 of his World Cup goals have come from inside the penalty area, with eight scored with his right foot and three with his head.

His World Cup journey began in 2018, when he marked his tournament debut with both goals in England’s 2-1 victory over Tunisia. A hat-trick against Panama and another strike against Colombia helped him finish the tournament with six goals, earning the Golden Boot at his first World Cup.

Kane also holds England’s record for combined World Cup goals and assists with 14 goal involvements. All three of his assists came at the 2022 World Cup, where he set up two goals against Iran and another against Wales. His three assists is the second most by an England player at the tournament, behind David Beckham’s six.

Lineker’s record could hardly have been broken by a more fitting successor. Kane now stands alone at the top, and his focus will turn to achieving something his predecessor never did: leading England to World Cup glory.

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