Harry Kane scored twice in Dallas on Wednesday to open England’s World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory against Croatia — and in doing so matched Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals. The 32-year-old captain gave England the lead with a retaken penalty early in the first half, then powered in a header three minutes before the break to restore his side’s advantage in Group L.
Lineker, who reached his tally across the 1986 and 1990 tournaments, was quick to anoint his successor. “Welcome to the double-figures club. It’s great. I mean, it may have taken him a World Cup more,” the former Match of the Day presenter joked on The Rest is Football podcast. “In all seriousness, Harry Kane is, I think, the greatest English striker we’ve ever had. I genuinely think that now.”
“Gary Lineker hails Harry Kane as England's greatest striker after Kane equals Lineker's record of 10 World Cup goals.”
Kane now has 81 goals in 115 international appearances, topping England’s all-time scoring chart. Lineker, 65, finished his own career with 48 goals in 80 games. The Bayern Munich striker’s all-round game, Lineker said, “is what separates him from all the others”.
Kane’s double came in a tournament already lit by other stars. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria, Kylian Mbappe opened his account for France with two goals in the win over Senegal, and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland also scored a brace in Norway’s victory against Iran. Lineker’s co-host Alan Shearer, who scored 30 England goals including two at the 1998 World Cup, said: “Harry Kane has seen Messi, Mbappe and Haaland all come on straight away and get the goals. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks your record.”
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s tournament, called Kane “one of the best players in the world”. “You can’t speak highly enough of him,” Maguire added. “On the pitch, he’s unbelievable, but, off the pitch, he’s a massive leader.”
England face Ghana in their second group game on 23 June at 21:00 BST.