Lineker hails Kane as England's greatest striker after World Cup double

Gary Lineker has declared Harry Kane "the greatest English striker we've ever had" after the England captain scored twice in a 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening World Cup group match in Dallas.

Kane's brace brought his international goal tally to 81 in 115 appearances and took him to 10 career World Cup goals, equalling Lineker's record for England in the competition. The Bayern Munich forward opened the scoring with a retaken penalty in the first half before heading home just before the break to restore England's lead.

What Lineker said

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the former England striker—who scored 10 World Cup goals himself across the 1986 and 1990 tournaments—welcomed Kane to the "double-figures club." Lineker said Kane's all-round game separates him from other world-class forwards, adding that he "genuinely" believes the 32-year-old is the best English striker ever.

Co-host Alan Shearer, another former England striker with 30 international goals, noted that Kane responded immediately after Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all scored in their opening matches. Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, who was left out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for the tournament, called Kane "one of the best players in the world" and praised his leadership off the pitch.

• Kane now has 81 goals in 115 international appearances, making him England's all-time leading scorer.
• His 10 World Cup goals equal Gary Lineker's England record.
• England's next Group L match is against Ghana on 23 June at 21:00 BST.
• Kane is playing at his third World Cup, having featured in 2018 and 2022.
• Lineker scored his 10 World Cup goals in 12 matches; Kane reached the mark in his 15th World Cup appearance.

What's next

England will face Ghana in their second group game on 23 June as they aim to secure a spot in the knockout stages. With Kane leading the line, Thomas Tuchel's side will look to build on their attacking display while tightening up defensively after Croatia twice threatened a comeback.