Exorcising 2018 demons: Harry Kane’s brilliant brace ignites the World Cup Golden Boot race

17.06.26 FT World Cup

England

4

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Croatia

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Harry Kane struck twice to secure a vital win for England over Croatia this week, instantly igniting the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race.

The England captain wasted absolutely no time making his mark on the global stage. Stepping up to the spot in the 12th minute, Kane buried a confident penalty to establish an early lead for his national side.

He then doubled his tally just before the break firing home a precise strike in the 42 minute to secure a comfortable cushion for the Three Lions. This clinical performance reaffirmed his status as one of the most lethal finishers in international football and immediately placed him among the frontrunners for the tournament's top individual prize.

The Golden Boot standings

While Kane's opening performance was flawless, he still has ground to make up. Lionel Messi currently dictates the top of the scoring charts following a magnificent hat-trick during Argentina's opening clash against Algeria.

The competition directly below the Argentine icon is fierce, with a logjam of elite strikers tied on two goals each.

Current 2026 World Cup top scorers:

• 3 Goals: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
  
• 2 Goals: Harry Kane (England), Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), Folarin Balogun (USA), Kai Havertz (Germany), Yasin Ayari (Sweden), Elijah Just (New Zealand)

Exorcising the Demons of Moscow

Kane’s devastating performance against Croatia carries significant historical weight. Eight years ago during the 2018 World Cup semi-final at the Luzhniki Stadium, England squad suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 extra-time defeat to this exact opposition.

Kane failed to find the net that night, a blank that haunted the English media for years even though he eventually took home the 2018 Golden Boot with six overall goals.

By dismantling the Croatian defense in 2026, the veteran forward has finally engineered his personal revenge. More importantly, this opening brace positions him perfectly to chase an unprecedented individual milestone: becoming the first men's player in the history of football to win two World Cup Golden Boots.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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