Kane heads England past Panama, sets World Cup scoring record

Harry Kane rose above Panama’s back line and headed Jude Bellingham’s cross home to finish England’s 2-0 win at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The goal carried England to first place in the group and sent Gareth Southgate’s side into the knockout stage with a match to spare.

The sequence underlined how England’s central attacking pair were starting to click. Bellingham drove down the left before sending a precise ball into the area, and Kane met it cleanly to beat Panama. FIFA’s official match material described the move the same way, with Bellingham carrying the attack from the left and Kane finishing with power in front of goal.

The header also pushed Kane into the record book. The Bayern Munich striker and England captain reached 11 goals in World Cup finals, moving past Gary Lineker to become England’s leading scorer on the tournament’s biggest stage. Bellingham, meanwhile, had already opened the scoring just after the hour when he hooked home from a corner, giving him one goal and one assist on a night when England’s most important work came inside the penalty area.

England had entered the match with a 4-2 opening win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw with Ghana, and Bellingham and Kane started all three group games. Both finished the group stage with two goals, giving England a steady route through the section and another performance built on familiar names delivering in decisive moments. With one game left, England were already through, first in the group and moving on with their main attacking partnership carrying the load.