Harry Kane delivered a captain’s performance in England’s opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, scoring twice to guide the Three Lions to a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 17. The two goals saw Kane reach a major personal milestone. His World Cup tally now stands at 10 goals, drawing level with Gary Lineker’s long-standing record as England’s highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history and pushed him ahead of the Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo in the World Cup scoring charts.Â
🚨🌎 HARRY KANE GIVES ENGLAND THE LEAD AGAIN!
England 2-1 Croatia.pic.twitter.com/DsJDihw7lg
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) June 17, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA World Cup TallyÂ
Prior to the ongoing tournament, international veteran Cristiano Ronaldo held a career total of eight goals across 23 appearances in five different editions of the FIFA World Cup, spanning from 2006 to 2022. Ronaldo opened his 2026 tournament campaign with Portugal in a Group K fixture against the DR Congo on June 17, 2026. The match concluded in a 1-1 draw at the Aleph Arena, where the veteran forward played the full 90 minutes but did not find the back of the net, remaining at his career tally of eight World Cup goals.
What Happened During England vs Croatia Match?
England’s opening World Cup fixture against Croatia provided plenty of drama and attacking football from the very beginning. Kane opened the scoring in the 12th minute from the penalty spot, although the goal came only after a VAR review ordered the kick to be retaken because Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic had stepped off his line too early.
Martin Baturina and Petar Musa of Croatia both found the net in the first half to put England under pressure and keep the scoreline close.
However, Kane stepped up once again when his team needed him most. Just before the break, the striker restored England’s momentum with a powerful downward header from a Declan Rice corner in the 42nd minute.
England carried that momentum into the second half and eventually pulled away from their opponents. Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford added further goals as the Three Lions wrapped up an entertaining 4-2 victory and made the perfect start to their World Cup campaign.
Harry Kane’s All-Time FIFA World Cup GoalsÂ
Kane’s World Cup goal history began during the 2018 tournament in Russia, where he secured the Golden Boot with six goals, scoring twice against Tunisia, a hat-trick against Panama, and one against Colombia. In the 2022 tournament in Qatar, he added two goals to his record, striking against Senegal in the round of 16 and France in the quarter-finals. His latest two goals against Croatia bring his total tournament record to 10 goals across three consecutive World Cups.
