Harry Kane Equals England Record With 10 Goals Against Croatia — Anglia Croatia
Harry Kane turned anglia croatia into a record night on 18 June 2026. He scored from the penalty spot after 12 minutes, then added another first-half goal as England and Croatia were level 2-2 at the break.
Kane and Croatia
The penalty came after Kane initially missed, only for the kick to be retaken after Croatian players entered the penalty area. He converted the second attempt and moved to five World Cup penalty goals, the most in tournament history.
That pushed him past Lionel Messi on the World Cup penalty list. It also brought him level with Gary Lineker’s England World Cup goals record at 10, giving England another benchmark in a match that stayed tight from the opening half-hour.
England's World Cup mark
Kane’s first goal made him only the second England player to score at three different men’s World Cup tournaments, a feat David Beckham had previously held alone. The two-goal first half also left England with a 2-2 scoreline after 45 minutes, keeping the group-stage contest balanced rather than one-sided.
For England, the immediate takeaway is simple: Kane keeps producing on the biggest stage, and the records are stacking up with each tournament. The strike against Croatia added another layer to a World Cup scoring record that now sits alongside Lineker’s England mark and above Messi’s total in one key category.
Messi and Lineker
Two posted records frame the night. OptaJose listed Kane at five FIFA World Cup penalty goals, ahead of Rob Rensenbrink, Gabriel Batistuta, Lionel Messi and Eusébio on four, while Squawka noted that Kane is just the second player to score for England in three different men’s World Cup tournaments after Sir David Beckham.
Those numbers leave Kane with a clear place in England’s tournament history and a wider mark across the World Cup itself. He did it by scoring twice in the first half against Croatia, including a retaken penalty that changed the shape of the match and the record book at the same time.
