Harry Kane rewrites World Cup history in England, surpassing Ronaldo in the number of goals

Harry Kane became England’s all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup after scoring his 11th goal of the tournament in the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Panama on Sunday.

The England captain headed home in the 67th minute after Jude Bellingham’s blistering run and accurate cross put the score past Panama and took sole ownership of the record he shared with Gary Lineker. Lineker scored 10 World Cup goals between 1986 and 1990, but Kane now goes one better after featuring in three tournaments.

The goal also moved Kane ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta in the all-time World Cup top scorers list. Only six players have scored more goals than the Bayern Munich striker, who is now just one off Brazilian great Pelé’s 12 points.

Kane’s World Cup goals have come in three editions of the tournament. He scored six times to win the Golden Boot in Russia 2018, added two goals in Qatar four years later and now has three strikes at the ongoing World Cup to take his tally to 11.

Panama vs England, FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlighting

The latest goal capped another remarkable season for the England captain. According to Opta, it was his 70th goal for club and country in the 2025-26 season, taking him past Cristiano Ronaldo’s best single-season return of 69 goals in 69 games for Real Madrid and Portugal in 2011-12.

Kane reached the milestone in just 60 games. Among the current generation, the best return is Erling Haaland’s 61 goals in 61 games in 2022-23, while Kylian Mbappe’s highest tally is 54 in 56 games. Only Lionel Messi produced a better campaign, scoring 82 goals in 69 games for Barcelona and Argentina in 2011-12.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career. He helped Bayern Munich complete a domestic double, won a third successive Bundesliga Golden Boot and earlier this year overtook Jimmy Greaves to become England’s all-time top scorer.

Kane’s record-breaking strike also came at an important moment in England’s campaign. After a goalless first half, Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute before Kane doubled the lead five minutes later to seal victory and confirm England’s place in the round of 32 as Group L winners.

With the knockout rounds approaching, Kane has another landmark within reach. One more goal will see him level with Pele in the World Cup rankings, while England will be hoping their captain’s form can spark a serious title challenge.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

Jun 28, 2026 06:37 IST