Boasting a world class squad with plenty of depth at every position, England were one of the pre-tournament favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Arguably their most influential player is their captain, Harry Kane.
The lethal striker enjoyed an incredible season with his club, Bayern Munich, scoring 61 goals in all competitions, leading the Bavarian giants to Bundesliga and DFB Pokal triumphs. He has carried that glittering form to the international stage without missing a beat, delivering when it matters most for the Three Lions at this summer’s World Cup.
Thanks to Kane’s three group stage goals, England secured top spot in Group L, setting up a Round of 32 clash against DR Congo, who had impressed with their dogged defensive displays at the tournament.
Much to the shock of most fans and experts, the leopards took a shock lead in the 7th minute of their knockout tie, and England were suddenly looking down the barrel of an embarrassing early exit. One of the biggest upsets in World Cup history was only 30 minutes away from happening, before Harry Kane came to his nation’s rescue once again.
First, he levelled the game with a hugely important header. He then took things up another notch by rifling a superb strike into the roof of the net in the 86th minute, sending England through to the next round without the need for extra time against a determined and physical Congolese outfit.
With this brace, Kane has now taken his total goal tally for the season to an almost unbelievable 72. This makes him only the second player to eclipse 70-goal mark in a single season for club and country.
The only player that has the beating of Harry Kane for this stat is Lionel Messi, who scored a staggering 82 goals in the 2011/12 season. Messi also holds the record for the most goals in a calendar year, having rippled the net 91 times in 2012.
Most fans are of the opinion that Messi’s records might be forever untouchable, but Kane’s recent exploits have got many supporters excited at the possibility of history being rewritten.
Unfortunately for fans of Harry Kane and England, however, chances of this happening, despite Kane’s extraordinary ability to find the net, are slim. To beat Messi’s season record of 82, Kane has only the remainder of the World Cup to score at least 10 more goals.
Keeping in mind the fact that England can only play a maximum of four more games even if they go all the way to the final, and that games will progressively get much harder, it is obvious why the odds are stacked against the England number nine.
In terms of the calendar year stat, Kane currently has 39 goals for club and country in 2026 so far. Were he to add a few more to his tally in the weeks to come and start the 2026/27 season on fire with Bayern Munich, there is a possibility he can get close to the unbelievably high benchmark Messi has set.
While both these records are perhaps a step too far for Kane, there are a few that are much more achievable. If England get to the semi-finals of the World Cup, Kane will surpass Wayne Rooney (120 apps) and become England’s second-highest appearance maker. Legendary goalkeeper Peter Shilton leads the list with 125 appearances.
Also, if he manages to win the World Cup Golden Boot again, he will become the first ever player to win the prestigious prize in two separate iterations of the tournament. With 5 goals to his name, Kane is currently level in the standings with Erling Haaland, trailing only Kylian Mbappe (6) and Lionel Messi (7).
First and foremost on his list of priorities, however, will to help England recapture world football’s biggest prize for the first time since 1966.
