England 4-2 Croatia: Harry Kane levels Gary Lineker World Cup record as Three Lions get off to a flyer

Harry Kane is simply inevitable for England.

Plenty of talk ahead of the tournament was centred around England's reliance on Kane, and the superstar striker certainly delivered yet again for his country.

Kane scored six goals in Russia in 2018, added another two in Qatar and has already got on the scoresheet another two times for England in the 2026 tournament.

Followed up by goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, Kane's brace helped England seal a 4-2 victory over Croatia, while it also saw England's all-time record scorer reach another goalscoring milestone.

England 4-2 Croatia: What just happened?

England and Croatia produced arguably the game of the 2026 World Cup thus far, with the Three Lions securing a 4-2 victory at AT&T Stadium.

Thomas Tuchel's men twice took the lead through Kane in the first half, but were disappointingly pegged back level on both occasions by strikes from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.

Clearly unimpressed by England's first-half performance, with a lack of speed and intensity to their game, Tuchel looked to have delivered some stern words to his side, who came flying out of the blocks in the second half.

Jude Bellingham restored the Three Lions' lead within two minutes of the restart, and England proceeded to pepper Dominik Livakovic's goal in the minutes that followed.

Although Croatia managed to stay within one goal, England were the team in control from then on and eventually put the game to bed when Marcus Rashford showed great composure before adding a fourth late on in the game.

England's four-goal tally ensured they claimed a deserving three points in Group L's opening fixture, providing plenty of reason for optimism moving forward.

England 4-2 Croatia: The big talking point

Captain Kane at the double ?

He's now level with Gary Lineker for goals scored at a World Cup for England! pic.twitter.com/6omAZiHtaE
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 17, 2026

England depart AT&T Stadium with all three points, and while that is reason enough for excitement among Three Lions supporters, Kane's start to the tournament is equally significant.

The striker's first-half brace saw him score his ninth and 10th World Cup goals, drawing level with Gary Lineker's record for most goals scored at a World Cup for England.

It took Kane just 42 minutes of England's first game at the 2026 tournament to equal the record. The captain converted from the spot at the second time of asking after just 12 minutes, following a retake after an encroachment from Kane's first saved penalty effort, before powering home a header minutes before the break.

England will be hoping Kane can continue his goalscoring start to the tournament and surpass Lineker's record in the coming games, with any hopes of success for the Three Lions likely to depend on the forward's form.

Kane eyes goalscoring record

England's all-time record goalscorer will now have his sights set on surpassing Lineker's record and standing alone as the Three Lions' top scorer at the World Cup.

However, the forward will also have his eye on another major record after scoring his 10th goal at the World Cup.

The striker is just now six goals behind Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals scored at the World Cup, although the Argentine and a certain Kylian Mbappe will surely extend that record during this tournament.

England 4-2 Croatia: What happens next?

Kane will view England's upcoming match against Ghana as the perfect opportunity to surpass Lineker's record and move closer to the all-time World Cup goal record.

Croatia, meanwhile, will be hoping to bounce back from opening-day defeat when they meet Group L underdogs Panama at BMO Field on Wednesday.