Gary Lineker jokingly told his Netflix co-host Micah Richards to 'shut the f*** up' after Harry Kane broke his long-standing World Cup record. The England captain scored his 11th World Cup goal in a 2-0 win over Panama, moving one ahead of Lineker's tally of 10.
England Advance to Knockout Stage
The Three Lions advanced to the knockout round as winners of Group L following a routine 2-0 victory against Panama. England made five changes to their starting XI and were frustrated in the first half by opponents ranked 58th in the world. Manager Thomas Tuchel resisted making changes at the break, and his faith was rewarded just past the hour mark when Bukayo Saka's corner was hooked home by Jude Bellingham.
Kane's Record-Breaking Goal
Bellingham turned provider five minutes later, twisting away from a defender and delivering the perfect cross for Kane, who headed home from close range. Kane's goal, his third of the tournament, was his 11th overall on the biggest stage, moving him one ahead of Lineker. This delighted Richards, who appeared on the Netflix show via video link. 'Harry, Harry I absolutely love you,' said the former Manchester City defender. 'Gary is no more, he's not relevant any more, he's irrelevant.'
Lineker's Reaction
'Shut the f*** up will you,' retorted Lineker, who hit the off button on his remote before deciding to bring Richards back. 'I'll let you back because it's really late there,' said Lineker, who scored 10 World Cup goals for England at the 1986 and 1990 tournaments. Speaking after the match, Kane was asked if he had a message for Lineker and said: 'Sorry Gary, I'm one ahead of you now. I'm sure he'll send some congratulations and I've said before one of England's greatest strikers, especially in World Cups. To go ahead of him now is a proud moment for myself and I'm sure he'll be happy for me.'
Lineker's Congratulatory Message
Lineker was indeed happy for Kane, who has repeatedly delivered for England and offers them arguably their best chance of winning a first World Cup since 1966. He said: 'Thank you very much Harry, sincere congratulations, absolutely. I genuinely mean it I'm thrilled for it. Forty years is a long time I am kind of bored of it. I couldn't be more thrilled that it's Harry Kane.'
Bellingham Praises Kane
Bellingham, who also impressed against Panama, echoed Lineker's sentiments and described Kane as 'the best England player of all time'. 'I have built a good relationship with Harry over the last four or five years, especially after Qatar, playing so close together,' he said. 'It is an honour to play with him. For me he is the best England player of all time, he is the one who has showed up more than anyone, more than any other England player. It is quite easy to play with him in all honesty, he is at a level at the minute which is just incredible. You don't doubt him at all, in terms of whether he is involved or not, he is going to make a difference in the game and he did.'
Golden Boot Race
With three goals during the group stage, Kane will be eyeing a tilt at winning the Golden Boot for a record second time, as he remains in a contest with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Jr.
