England are one of the pre-tournament favourites to go all the way to World Cup glory in Qatar.
Having reached the semifinals in 2018 as well as the Euro 2020 final, they will be eager to break their trophy drought dating all the way back to 1966.
Some of the great English players have scored in World Cups, including Gary Lineker, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.
The Sporting News looks at which English stars have netted the most goals in World Cup history.
MORE: England squad for 2022 World Cup
England top World Cup scorers
Gary Lineker has scored the most goal for England at the World Cup. Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is next on the list and could look to catch Lineker's record at Qatar 2022.
| Name | Goals | Total matches played | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Lineker | 10 | 12 | 1986, 1990 |
| Harry Kane | 6 | 6 | 2018 |
| Geoff Hurst | 5 | 6 | 1966, 1970 |
| Michael Owen | 4 | 12 | 1998, 2002 |
| Bobby Charlton | 4 | 14 | 1962, 1966 |
Harry Kane World Cup goals: England record within reach
Despite only playing in one World Cup (in 2018), England captain Harry Kane has a realistic chance of overhauling Gary Lineker's record in Qatar.
Having scored six goals at Russia 2018, including a hat-trick against Panama, the Tottenham striker needs four more to equal Lineker's record, and a fifth would put him clear.
Given he is England's starting striker, all eyes will be on the 29-year-old as he looks to gain team and personal glory in Qatar.
Harry Kane heads in one of his six goals to win the Golden Boot 👟
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 9, 2022
(via @FIFAWorldCup)pic.twitter.com/47DK9CcTtM
MORE: England World Cup squad 2022: Final 26 players for Three Lions' roster
England World Cup goals
Below is a list of all England players who have scored at a World Cup.
| Edition | Total goals | Matches played | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2 | 3 | Wilf Mannion, Stan Mortensen |
| 1954 | 8 | 3 | Nat Lofthouse (3), Ivor Broadis (2), Tom Finney, Jimmy Mullen, Dennis Wilshaw |
| 1958 | 4 | 3 | Derek Kevan (2), Tom Finney, Johnny Haynes |
| 1962 | 5 | 4 | Ron Flowers (2), Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, Gerry Hitchens |
| 1966 | 11 | 6 | Geoff Hurst (4), Roger Hunt (3), Bobby Charlton (3), Martin Peters |
| 1970 | 4 | 4 | Allan Clarke, Geoff Hurst, Alan Mullery, Martin Peters |
| 1982 | 6 | 5 | Trevor Francis (2), Bryan Robson (2), Paul Mariner, own goal |
| 1986 | 7 | 5 | Gary Lineker (6), Peter Beardsley |
| 1990 | 8 | 7 | Gary Lineker (4), David Platt (3), Mark Wright |
| 1998 | 7 | 4 | Michael Owen (2), Alan Shearer (2), Darren Anderton, David Beckham, Paul Scholes |
| 2002 | 6 | 5 | Michael Owen (2), David Beckham, Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand, Emile Heskey |
| 2006 | 6 | 5 | Steven Gerrard (2), David Beckham, Joe Cole, Peter Crouch, own goal |
| 2010 | 3 | 4 | Jermaine Defoe, Steven Gerrard, Matthew Upson |
| 2014 | 2 | 3 | Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney |
| 2018 | 12 | 7 | Harry Kane (6), John Stones (2), Jesse Lingard, Harry Maguire, Dele Alli, Kieran Tripper |
Youngest England World Cup scorer
The youngest ever goalscorer for England at a World Cup is Michael Owen, who scored against Romania in the group stages of the 1998 tournament at the age of 18 years and 190 days.
Dele Alli is the next youngest, with his goal against Sweden in 2018 coming when he was 22 years and 87 days old.
List of youngest England scorers at World Cup
| Player | Age | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Owen | 18y, 190d | England vs. Romania, 1998 |
| Michael Owen | 18y, 198d | England vs. Argentina, 1998 |
| Dele Alli | 22y, 87d | England vs. Sweden, 2018 |
| Jimmy Greaves | 22y, 102d | England vs Argentina, 1962 |
| Michael Owen | 22y, 183d | England vs Denmark, 2002 |
MORE: England top scorers of all time: Complete list of most goals
Oldest England World Cup scorer
Tom Finney in the 1958 is the oldest player to score for England at a World Cup.
His successful penalty against the USSR also made him the oldest penalty-scorer in World Cup history.
List of oldest England scorers at World Cup
| Player | Age | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Finney | 36y, 182d | England vs. USSR, 1958 |
| Nat Lofthouse | 33y, 56d | England vs. USSR, 1958 |
| Ivor Broadis | 31y, 181d | England vs. Belgium, 1954 |
| Jimmy Mullen | 31y, 165d | England vs. Switzerland, 1954 |
| Matthew Upson | 31y, 70d | England vs. Germany, 1970 |
