Who has the most World Cup goals for England? Discover England’s top scorers at the World Cup, the players to miss out on the list, and who may join it soon!
Since England 9/2 first played at the World Cup in 1950, they’ve been blessed with many fantastic and clinical players. No matter what generation it’s been, there’s always been at least one true goal threat within their team. But who has the most World Cup goals for England?
In this blog, we’ve covered England players with the most goals at the World Cup, who just misses out on the list, and if any players can add themselves into the top few after the 2026 tournament!
Alternatively, if you think you know who’ll bag the most this time around, why not explore the latest England top scorer odds! Or, discover the latest World Cup betting odds for all the matches as they unfold.
Who has scored the most World Cup goals for England?
As mentioned before, England have had some truly world-class goalscorers throughout their time at the World Cup. In the table below, we’ve listed the top five players with the most goals for England at the tournament:
Rank | Player | World Cup goals | World Cup editions |
1 | Harry Kane | 13 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
2 | Gary Lineker | 10 | 1986, 1990 |
3 | Geoff Hurst | 5 | 1966, 1970 |
3 | Jude Bellingham | 5 | 2022, 2026 |
4 | Bobby Charlton | 4 | 1962, 1966, 1970 |
4 | Michael Owen | 4 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
4 | Marcus Rashford | 4 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
7 | Bukayo Saka | 3 | 2022, 2026 |
7 | Jude Bellingham | 3 | 2022, 2026 |
7 | Nat Lofthouse | 3 | 1954 |
7 | Roger Hunt | 3 | 1962, 1966 |
7 | David Platt | 3 | 1990 |
7 | Steven Gerrard | 3 | 2006, 2010, 2014 |
7 | David Beckham | 3 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
England’s top scorers at the World Cup
As you can see, there are some legendary players listed in the top few, but what did they do to get there? Let’s take a look into the goals that they’ve scored to add themselves into such a prestigious club:
Harry Kane
Now outright after netting five times at the 2026 World Cup is Harry Kane. England’s current talisman up front has managed to have some stellar returns in front of goal, especially at the 2018 tournament in Russia. It was here where he became only the second Englishman to be awarded a World Cup Golden Boot after Gary Lineker in 1986.
The six goals that he scored in this campaign earned him the award, where, like Lineker, he also had a standout hat-trick performance. Kane’s hat-trick came against Panama in the group stage, where he scored two from the penalty spot before netting a third, which came from a deflection he didn’t know much about! The goals that he scored here helped England to their best World Cup finish in recent history as they reached the semi-finals.
His 2022 campaign was much less prolific than he would’ve been hoping for, as he only managed to get two goals in Qatar. Though only scoring twice, his goals were still important ones to England’s run to the quarter-finals. His first came against Senegal in the round of 16, helping the team to a 3-0 win, and his second was a crucial penalty against France in the quarter-finals.
Though he hasn’t got silverware to pair with his goals, he’s one of two English players to have won the World Cup Golden Boot and has scored some vital goals for England. And he’ll be hoping to extend his lead at the top of the list throughout the 2026 World Cup tournament.
Gary Lineker
Topping the goalscoring charts for England is the 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker. The six goals that he scored in this campaign earned him the award, placing him above stars such as Diego Maradona who went on to win the tournament!
His highlight during the 1986 World Cup was no doubt his hat-trick against Poland in the group stage. What’s more, he managed to score all three of his goals in the first half too! He also scored against Argentina in the quarter-final, but it only turned out to be a consolation as they bowed out to the eventual champions.
Though he didn’t score as many goals, his 1990 campaign was also an impressive one with him netting four times. His contributions here helped England to reach the semi-finals against West Germany, with him even scoring an equaliser in this game before unfortunately exiting on penalties.
Despite not winning any silverware, he created some special memories for England fans everywhere and will be remembered as a national hero forever.
Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst comes in third on England’s World Cup scorers list, managing five goals at the tournament. Impressively, he got to this tally in only six games and contributed heavily to England’s World Cup victory in 1966.
At the 1966 tournament, he managed to score four goals, including the winner against Argentina in the quarter-finals. But he made sure to save his best performance for the final against West Germany where he scored a legendary hat-trick to help England win the match 4-2.
After scoring a headed goal to level the game at 1-1 in the first half, it wasn’t until extra-time when he came alive again. Alan Ball’s cross found Hurst, who fired the ball in off the crossbar with his right foot, with the Germans even contesting the decision to give the goal. Hurst then ran in behind the German defence and smashed the ball into the top left corner to seal the win. This made him the first player to ever score a hat-trick in a World Cup final until Mbappe in 2022 against Argentina.
So, though not topping the charts, Hurst’s goals are etched into England’s history at the competition, being remembered as the ones that won them their first and only World Cup.
Jude Bellingham
Tied in third with Geoff Hurst is Jude Bellingham, who’s managed five goals across his two tournament appearances. Scoring his first in 2022 against Senegal, he wouldn’t find the net again until the opening group game against Croatia in 2026. He’s continued his fine form this summer by also netting against Panama and grabbing a crucial brace in a 3-2 win over Mexico, proving yet again why he’s one of England’s most important players.
Bobby Charlton
Next up is another iconic World Cup-winning player, Bobby Charlton. The attacking midfielder appeared across three different tournaments for England, scoring his four goals in the 1962 and 1966 campaigns. His best, however, was the World Cup-winning tournament in 1966, where he managed to net three times in six games.
Where he really stepped up to the plate was against Portugal in the 1966 semi-final. It was here where he scored a crucial brace in a 2-1 win over the other European outfit. His first was a simple one, as he rolled the ball into the net after the goalkeeper parried a shot to him on the edge of the box. The second was then rifled into the goal during the second half, with Geoff Hurst laying the ball off to him outside the box.
Playing a crucial role in England’s World Cup success, Charlton is a deserving player to be included on this list, especially due to the magnitude of his goals.
Michael Owen
The final entry in the top five English goalscorers at the World Cup is Michael Owen. He made appearances in three tournaments between 1998 and 2006. Owen scored twice in both the 1998 and 2002 campaigns, with some really important goals being involved within those numbers.
The best of his four is no doubt from the 1998 World Cup, where he scored a magnificent solo goal against Argentina in the last 16. Receiving the ball from David Beckham, Owen charged at the defence, drove past two players, and then thumped the ball into the top left corner of the net. This placed England 2-1 up against their South American rivals and, even though they went on to lose the game on penalties, it’s still remembered by England fans everywhere.
His other goals may not have been as memorable or important, but Owen also scored against Romania in the 1998 group phase, and his two goals in 2002 were against Denmark in the round of 16 and against Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Owen’s performances in the 1998 campaign earned him the Best Young Player Award, helping to acknowledge the impressive displays he had.
Will any England players rise up the list at the 2026 World Cup?
There are certainly a few active players who may be able to enhance their positioning among England’s top scorers at the World Cup. Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham sit on three goals going into the knockouts, while Marcus Rashford has four.
Can England go all the way?
England have had many prolific players over the years, but can any of them help fire England to winning the World Cup?
The Three Lions are certainly one of the favourites to become World Cup tournament winners and they definitely have the players capable of doing it. With Harry Kane being motivated to claim yet another goalscoring record, he could help lead England to victory for the first time since 1966!
