FIFA World Cup 2026: Harry Kane hits 70 goals in 2025-26, trails only Lionel Messi's record in single season
New Jersey, June 28
England captain Harry Kane has scored 70 goals in the 2025-26 season, surpassing Portugal legend Ronaldo and placing him second only to legendary Lionel Messi on the list of most goals scored in a single season in the 21st century, according to 433's X handle.
Only Messi has scored more goals than Kane in a single season, with 82 goals in the 2011-12 season, while he also registered 69 goals in 2012-13. Cristiano Ronaldo appears twice on the list as well, with 69 goals in 2011-12 and 66 goals in 2014-15. Kane's extraordinary tally highlights a historic campaign, putting him among the greatest single-season scorers in modern football.
Kane reached the 70-goal tally with a goal against Panama in England's last group-stage match of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 on Saturday (local time).
After a tightly contested first half in the Panama match, England finally found the breakthrough in the 62nd minute through Jude Bellingham. The midfielder reacted quickest inside the penalty area following a corner and produced a clever near-post finish to put his side ahead.
Just six minutes later, Bellingham turned provider, delivering an inviting cross for captain Harry Kane, who powered home a header to double England's advantage, taking his season tally to 70 goals.
Kane's goal was also historic for the reason that it took him to 11 FIFA World Cup goals, making him England's outright leading scorer in the competition, surpassing Gary Lineker's previous record of 10. It also moved the striker to 18 goals in major international tournaments for England after he had drawn level with Lineker by scoring twice in the opening win over Croatia.
Panama thought they had scored a late goal in stoppage time, but it was ruled offside, meaning they finished the tournament without a point or a goal. England ended their FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage campaign on a high, beating Panama 2-0 and topping their group for the second straight edition of the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel's side finished Group L with seven points, matching their best-ever World Cup group-stage tally, also achieved in 2006 and 2022, according to Opta Analyst.
England started their campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia and then drew 0-0 with Ghana before sealing top spot with a victory over Panama. They finished ahead of Croatia, while Ghana also progressed to the knockout stage. Panama ended at the bottom of the group after three straight defeats.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As much as I admire Kane's consistency, I find it interesting that the article focuses heavily on European footballers. India's Sunil Chhetri has been phenomenal for years—over 90 international goals—but he never gets mentioned in these global "goal lists" because he plays for a smaller nation. Would love to see some recognition for Asian players too.
Bellingham's assist for Kane's header was pure class. England's group stage performance is solid—7 points is impressive. But let's be real: Panama weren't exactly top-tier opposition. The real test will be against Brazil or France in the knockouts. Still, Kane's record is something special. 🏆⚽
I'm a huge football fan in India, and it's amazing to see stats like this. But I feel for Panama—zero points, zero goals, and an offside call to deny their only chance. That's brutal. 😔 Happy for England, but I hope smaller teams get more support in future World Cups.
Messi's 82 goals in 2011-12 is still the gold standard for me. Kane's 70 is fantastic, but the quality of goals Messi scored—the dribbles, the assists, the free kicks—was on another level. Still, credit to Kane for consistency over a long season. And England topping their group again? Tuchel has built a strong unit.
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