England captain Harry Kane His late brace against the Democratic Republic of Congo reignited the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, leveling Erling Haaland in second and closing the gap on the joint leaders. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.Kane’s two goals helped England to a dramatic 2-1 victory in the round of 32, keeping the Three Lions’ World Cup dream alive and opening the door to the race for the World Cup’s top scorer.The England captain now has five goals at the World Cup, just one behind Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice in France’s 3-0 win over Sweden to top the table.
Kane joins the race for the golden boot
Facing a shock exit, DR Congo took the lead in the seventh minute through Brian Cipenga, with England trailing for more than an hour.Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to find a breakthrough, with goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi parrying shots from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, while Eoin Wiesa hit the post at the other end.Kane finally sparked England’s revival in the 75th minute and completed the comeback 11 minutes later with a clinical finish.Kane’s brace not only sealed England’s place in the last 16, but also pushed Kane into the heart of the race for the Golden Boot.
fifa world cup 2026 Golden Boot List
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 6 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals
- Harry Kane (England) – 5 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goals
- Ousmane Dembélé (France) – 4 goals
- Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals
- Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) – 4 goals
Several players are still within striking distance, making for an interesting battle as the elimination rounds continue.
- Three goals each: Deniz Undav (Germany), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Brian Brobbery (Netherlands), Folarin Balogun (USA), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Elijah Just (New Zealand), Yoane Wissa (Cape Verde), Jonathan David (Canada), Ismail Saibari (Morocco) and Kai Havertz (Germany).
Another historic milestone for England captain
Kane’s heroics also allowed him to surpass Brazilian legend Pele on the all-time World Cup goalscoring list.His first goal brought him equal to Pele’s 12 goals in the World Cup, while his winning goal took his World Cup tally to 13, further cementing his status as the World Cup’s top scorer.The England captain had already overtaken Gary Lineker as England’s top scorer at the men’s World Cup earlier in the tournament and now has 20 goals in major international competitions and 84 goals in 118 games for England.England have not won a Men’s World Cup match after conceding for the first time since defeating Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, underscoring the significance of Kane’s comeback performance.With Messi and Kylian Mbappe leading the way with six goals, and Kane and Haaland chasing with five, the race for top scorer at this World Cup is expected to be one of the decisive storylines in the knockout stages.England next face hosts Mexico in the last 16 and Kane will have another chance to continue his impressive goalscoring record and pursuit of the Golden Boot.
