Kane Breaks Messi’s World Cup Record, Reaches New Heights with Brace Against Croatia

Darwin, 18 June : Harry Kane etched his name deeper into World Cup history on Wednesday night, breaking a record previously shared by Lionel Messi and moving to the top of England’s World Cup scoring charts after a brilliant brace in a 4-2 victory over Croatia.

The England captain was the star of the show in the high-voltage Group L clash, scoring twice to help the Three Lions secure an impressive opening win and set several personal milestones along the way.

Kane opened the scoring in the 12th minute from the penalty spot. Although his initial effort was saved by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, the penalty was ordered to be retaken after the goalkeeper was ruled to have moved off his line before the kick. Given a second chance, Kane made no mistake and calmly fired England ahead.

The goal carried historic significance. It was Kane’s fifth World Cup penalty goal (excluding shootouts), making him the player with the most penalty goals in FIFA World Cup history. In doing so, he moved ahead of a group of legends that included , , and , all of whom had scored four World Cup penalties.

The strike also saw Kane become only the second English player to score in three different World Cup tournaments, following . Kane has now found the net at the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions of the tournament.

The Bayern Munich forward was not finished there. In the 42nd minute, he rose highest to head home his second goal of the night, giving England greater control of the match before halftime.

That goal was Kane’s 10th in World Cup competition, drawing him level with as England’s joint-highest scorer in World Cup history. The achievement further cemented Kane’s status as one of the greatest players ever to represent the national team.

The 32-year-old already holds the record for the most goals scored for England across all competitions. With 81 international goals to his name, he sits comfortably ahead of , who scored 53 goals for the Three Lions.

England’s convincing victory over Croatia was an ideal start to their World Cup campaign, but the night ultimately belonged to Kane. By surpassing Messi’s World Cup penalty record and matching England’s all-time World Cup scoring mark, the prolific striker once again proved why he remains one of football’s most reliable goalscorers on the biggest stage.