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England captain Harry Kane described becoming his country's all-time leading men's goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history as a "special milestone" after helping the Three Lions seal top spot in Group L with a comfortable 2-0 win over Panama at MetLife Stadium.
Sharing his thoughts after the match, Kane wrote on X, "Solid performance, clean sheet and top of the group. Onto the Round of 32. Proud moment for me to become England's all-time leading goalscorer at the @fifaworldcup, special milestone to achieve." Kane's landmark came after he headed home England's second goal in the 68th minute, taking his World Cup tally to 11 goals and moving past Gary Lineker's long-standing England men's record of 10. It was also the Bayern Munich striker's third goal of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. England had to wait until the second half to break Panama's resistance after a goalless opening 45 minutes. Jude Bellingham finally opened the scoring in the 62nd minute, reacting quickest inside the penalty area following a corner to steer home at the near post. Six minutes later, Bellingham turned provider with a pinpoint cross into the box, where Kane rose highest to power home a header and double England's advantage. The victory ensured Thomas Tuchel's side finished atop Group L with seven points after beginning their campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia before being held to a goalless draw by Ghana. England will now face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time). Kane's latest strike also took his tally to 18 goals across major international tournaments for England, while he remains the country's all-time leading scorer with 82 goals in 117 appearances. The 32-year-old won the Golden Boot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after scoring six goals as England reached the semifinals. He netted twice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but endured heartbreak after missing a crucial penalty in the quarterfinal defeat to France. His 11 World Cup goals also drew him level with Germany great Jurgen Klinsmann and Hungary legend Sandor Kocsis in the tournament's all-time scoring charts. Kane remains firmly in contention to become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot twice. He has three goals in the ongoing tournament, trailing Lionel Messi's five, while Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele and Vinicius Junior have four each. The England skipper arrives in the knockout rounds in prolific form, having amassed 70 goals for club and country during a remarkable season with Bayern Munich and England. (ANI)
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