English captain Harry Kane He reignited the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot with a sensational late winner against DR Congo, leveling with Erling Haaland in second and closing the gap on the joint leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.Kane’s two goals inspired England to a dramatic 2-1 victory in the last 16, keeping the Three Lions’ World Cup dream alive as the race for the tournament’s top scorer was wide open.The England captain 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 against Sweden.
Kane joins the fight for the Golden Boot in style
Facing a shock exit, England trailed for more than an hour after DR Congo took the lead in the seventh minute through Brian Cipenga.Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to break through 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 bracelet not only sealed England’s place in the last 16, but also thrust Kane into the heart of the Golden Boot competition.
FIFA World Cup Ranking of the Golden Boot 2026
- 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
Several players remain within striking distance, setting up an intriguing battle as the knockout 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 (Cabo Verde), Jonathan David (Canada), Ismail Saibari (Morocco) and Kai Havertz (Germany).
Another historic milestone for the England captain
Kane’s heroics also saw him overtake Brazilian legend Pelé on the all-time World Cup goalscoring 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 top scorers.The England captain had already overtaken Gary Lineker as his country’s leading goalscorer at the Men’s World Cup earlier in the tournament and now boasts 20 goals in major international competitions to go with 84 goals in 118 appearances for England.England have not won a men’s World Cup game since conceding their first goal since beating Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, highlighting the significance of Kane’s comeback performance.With Messi and Mbappé leading the way with six goals and Kane and Haaland breathing down their necks with five, the race for the tournament’s top scorer promises to be one of the key stories in the knockout stages.England next face co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16, where Kane will have another chance to continue his remarkable run of goals and his quest for the Golden Boot.
