Gary Lineker wants Harry Kane to smash his World Cup record this summer – for good reason

Gary Lineker is fully prepared for Harry Kane to beat his World Cup record – so much so he’s encouraging the England captain to do so.

Lineker remains the Three Lions player with the most goals at a World Cup with 10.

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These came in just two tournaments he played, including six in 1986 when he won the Golden Boot.

Kane is not far behind him on eight, with six of those coming at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Like Lineker, he also won the Golden Boot at that tournament. However, he managed just two goals four years ago in Qatar.

Kane has the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico to try and beat Lineker’s record.

The former Tottenham, Barcelona and Leicester striker actually wants the 32-year-old to go past him this summer.

Joining talkSPORT, he said: “I really want him to beat it. The beauty of these things, people say, oh, you’re going to be gutted if your record gets broken. 

“But all it does really is remind people that you were actually alright at this football game a long time ago.

“You’ll see on every TV station, if Harry gets a goal, oh, he’s only one behind Lineker now, and it will go on until he goes past me.

“I really want him to go past me because if he doesn’t, we ain’t going to win it. If we want to have any chance at all, we need Harry in top form.”

Harry Kane and 2026 World Cup

Kane is comfortably England’s all-time record goalscorer with 78 in 112 games.

The Bayern Munich man is coming off a monster season at club level where he hit 61 goals in all competitions.

Lineker’s only concern is about having Kane at 100 per cent fitness and England should benefit from his minutes being managed at the end of the campaign.

He added: “With Harry, it’s about his fitness.

“I think two years ago at the Euros, he wasn’t right. I think that’s been said now. I think he was struggling with his back and he wasn’t particularly mobile.

“Also we didn’t necessarily play with two wide players that were running past and beyond him, which I think [Thomas] Tuchel will get. He’s picked the players to do that. 

“You’ve got to bring the best out of him. As long as Harry Kane is 100 per cent fit, we’ve got probably the best number nine in world football.”

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England at 2026 World Cup

The Three Lions have been drawn into Group L for the tournament and will be taking on Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the USA.

If England win Group L, their last-32 match will take place in Atlanta at 5pm GMT on Wednesday, July 1 and could see them face Erling Haaland‘s Norway.

Co-hosts Mexico may then be in store in the last-16 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City at 1am in the UK on Sunday, July 5.

Five-time winners Brazil are potential quarter-final opponents at 10pm GMT in Miami, with a potential semi-final against holders Argentina to take place at 8pm UK time.

And should England get to the final, they would return to the MetLife on July 19, where they could face either Spain or France at 8pm UK time.

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