England captain Harry Kane renewed the race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot with a sensational finish against Congo DR, moving level with Erling Haaland in second place and closing the gap on the joint leaders. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.Kane’s two goals inspired England to a dramatic 2-1 comeback win in the Round of 32, keeping the Three Lions’ World Cup dream alive as they launched the race for the tournament’s top scorer.The England skipper now has five goals in the tournament, just one behind Messi and Mbappé, who top the table with six each after the France captain struck twice in Les Bleus’ 3-0 win over Sweden.
Kane joins the Golden Boot battle in style
Facing a shock exit, England trailed for more than an hour after DR Congo took a seventh-minute lead through Brian Cipenga.Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to find a breakthrough as goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi denied Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, while Yoane Wissa hit the post at the other end.Kane eventually sparked England’s revival in the 75th minute before completing the comeback with another clinical finish 11 minutes later.The brace not only sealed England’s place in the Round of 16, but also propelled Kane into the heart of the Golden Boot competition.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Rankings
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 6 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals
- Harry Kane (England) – 5 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goals
- Ousmane Dembélé (France) – 4 goals
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) – 4 goals
- Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) – 4 goals
Many players remain within touching distance, setting up an intriguing 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 (Germany) and Kaivert (Germany).
Another historic step for the England captain
Kane’s heroics also saw him overtake Brazilian legend Pelé on the all-time World Cup points list.His first goal took him level with Pelé on 12 World Cup goals before his winner moved him to 13, further cementing his place among the competition’s all-time leading scorers.The England captain had already overtaken Gary Lineker as his country’s leading men’s World Cup scorer earlier in the tournament and now boasts 20 goals in major international competitions alongside 84 goals in 118 appearances for England.England had not won a men’s World Cup match after conceding their first since defeating Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, underscoring the importance of Kane’s recovery.With Messi and Mbappé leading the way with six goals and Kane and Haaland breathing down their necks on five, the race for the tournament’s top scorer promises to be one of the defining storylines of the knockout stage.England will face co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16, where Kane will have another opportunity to continue his remarkable scoring run and his pursuit of the Golden Boot.
