Harry Kane equals all-time England World Cup record after first-half double against Croatia

Harry Kane has equalled Gary Lineker’s goals record for England at World Cups after his first-half double against Croatia.

The England captain, playing at his third World Cup, opened the scoring in Dallas after scoring a retaken penalty.

His first effort was saved, but Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was penalised after a VAR review for moving off his line too early, plus Croat defender Josko Gvardiol encroached in the penalty area.

Martin Baturina equalised for Croatia with a terrific effort from outside the box before Kane headed home just before half-time from Declan Rice’s corner. Croatia then equalised with the final touch of the first-half through Peter Musa’s volley.

However, Kane’s double takes his World Cup tally to 10 goals, moving him level with Lineker’s tally from 1986 and 1990.

Both Kane and Lineker won World Cup Golden Boots, too: Kane in the 2018 semi-final run and Lineker in England’s run to the quarter-finals in 1986.

Kane, 32, scored six goals in Russia in 2018 to claim the top-scorer prize before two in Qatar in 2022 – a tournament he ended with that devastating penalty miss against France.

Yet now, the Bayern Munich striker is now just six goals off the all-time World Cup leading goalscorer tally, jointly held now by Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain’s hat-trick against Algeria.