Harry Kane responded this June 17 with a double in England’s debut against Croatia and positioned himself as one of the main contenders for the Golden Boot of the 2026 World Cup, along with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
Before the match, during the press conference prior to the duel on the first day of Group L, Kane had anticipated his great moment of form. “I am coming off the best season I have ever had. I have scored many more goals than in any previous season and physically and mentally I am very good,” declared the English captain.
Kane opened the scoring in the 12th minute from the penalty spot, after the shot was replayed, and extended the lead in the 42nd minute with a powerful header. With this double, he reached 10 goals in World Cups and equaled Gary Lineker as England’s all-time top scorer in the competition. He only needed 12 games in World Cup finals to reach that mark: six in 2018, two in 2022 and two in his debut in 2026.
In that same previous conference, Kane highlighted the team’s balance. “The team has a fantastic balance. There is a mix of experience, with players who have played in many finals, and great young players on the rise,” he said.
Regarding the semifinal lost against Croatia in Russia 2018, he ruled out any spirit of revenge. “A lot of time has passed since that meeting and we have accumulated a lot of experience. We are in a good moment.”
Kane, who has 80 international goals for England, arrives at the tournament after registering 61 goals in 51 games with Bayern Munich during the 2025/26 season, in which he won the European Golden Boot.
While Messi leads the scoring table with a hat trick (three goals), Mbappé and Haaland have two goals each after their doubles on the opening day. Kane immediately joins the fight for the tournament’s top scorer thanks to his outstanding performance in England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia.