Kane scored twice against Tunisia in England’s first match in Russia and then bagged a hat-trick in a 6-1 romp against Panama.

Gareth Southgate rested Kane for the third group game — a 1-0 defeat to Belgium — but the Tottenham striker returned to score from the penalty spot against Colombia in the last 16.

In doing so the England captain became the first player to score in six consecutive England appearances since Tommy Lawton in 1939.

Gareth Southgate’s side play the Swedes in Samara on Saturday, eyeing their first semi-final since 1990, a defeat against Germany in which Lineker played and scored.

“My target isn’t the Golden Boot. The target is to win the tournament. That’s always been the target. If the Golden Boot comes along with that then perfect, but the target is to help the team.

“If my goals help the team, brilliant. If not I’ll be running round, working hard, trying to get assists. And that’s all I can do.”

Lineker, also a former Tottenham player and now a TV pundit and avid user of Twitter, is a fan.

“Blinding finish from Harry Kane. The first player to score a hat-trick and a brace in consecutive World Cup Games since 1986,” he tweeted after Kane’s performance against Panama.

Lineker was referring to his own exploits in Mexico, where he scored a hat-trick against Poland in the group phase followed by two goals against Paraguay.

Kane’s goal against Colombia took him two clear of Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and three clear of a clutch of players on three.

– Eight-goal Ronaldo –

Since 1978 only one player has scored more than six goals in a single tournament, when Brazil’s Ronaldo netted eight goals in Japan and South Korea in 2002.

Kane faced a tough route to the top at Premier League club Spurs, spending periods on loan at various lower-level clubs including Leyton Orient and Millwall before he established himself in the Spurs side.

Astonishing as it seems now, Kane was written off as a one-season wonder after his breakthrough season with Spurs in 2014-15 following a slow start to the following campaign.

But he has been relentless in front of goal ever since.

In 2017-18 he scored 30 goals in the Premier League and 41 in all competitions for Spurs, including back-to-back hat-tricks at the end of 2017 to break Alan Shearer’s record for the most Premier League goals scored in a calendar year, with 39.

So what would it mean if Kane goes on to win the Golden Boot?

Lineker’s heroics at the 1986 World Cup in Brazil resulted in a dream move to Barcelona. James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot in 2014, sealed a move from Monaco to Real Madrid.

It is different with Kane. He is a product of Tottenham’s youth academy and the club, just about to move into a new stadium, tied him down to a new six-year deal just before the World Cup.

There was speculation he would want a move away as the north London club are yet to win a trophy under Mauricio Pochettino.

“Obviously it’s been a great few seasons and I’m looking forward to the future,” Kane said at the time. “I’m looking forward to the new stadium first and foremost and just to keep progressing as a club.”

Whatever that future is for Kane, it seems certain to be a bright one.

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Both teams are in the bottom half of the draw in Russia, along with the host nation and Croatia, with England the only former winners of the four teams.

The top half contains more heavyweights, with 1998 champions France taking on two-time winners Uruguay and Brazil set to face Belgium.

Eric Dier’s spot-kick gave England their first-ever win on penalties at a World Cup at the fourth attempt — ending the jinx that has dogged them for so long.

But Southgate said he was already looking forward to Saturday’s quarter-final against Sweden in Samara, with a last-four clash against either Croatia or Russia up for grabs.

“This was special but I want us to go on,” Southgate, whose penalty miss saw England lose to Germany in the Euro 96 semi-finals at Wembley, said.

“Sweden is another team we have a poor record against. We have underestimated them for years. They have created their own story and made history. I don’t want to go home yet.”

– Neymar in the spotlight –

For all the drama around England, the winner of the tournament is more likely to come from the top half of the draw, where the teams can boast a combined eight tournament wins.

Favourites Brazil will come up against Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ in Kazan on Friday while an exciting young France side spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe take on a shrewd Uruguay outfit in Nizhny Novgorod.

Much of the focus surrounding Brazil’s bid for a record-extending sixth world title has inevitably been on Neymar.

But the world’s most expensive player has hit the headlines as much for his perceived play-acting as for the on-pitch performances that have helped his side ease into the last eight without ever being seriously troubled.

Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne are likely to give Brazil’s defence the biggest test of their campaign so far, although the South Americans have only conceded once in four matches.

“This is the sort of game you dream about as a little boy and we can enjoy it from the first second,” said Belgium coach Roberto Martinez.

France never got out of first gear in easing through the group stage, but turned on the style as Mbappe dazzled in a classic 4-3 victory over Argentina to set up the clash with Uruguay.

“We have been preparing for months, for weeks to play matches like that,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.

Uruguay’s success has been built on a solid defence led by Atletico Madrid pair Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin, with the old-fashioned strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani doing the damage at the other end with five goals between them.

No South American side have won on European soil since a Pele-inspired Brazil 60 years ago, but in a World Cup of shocks and surprises, nothing can be taken for granted.

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England had almost paid a heavy price for missing a slew of first-half chances when Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi slotted home a softly-awarded penalty 20 minutes before half-time.

And the north Africans were still level as the game went past the 90-minute mark.

But Harry Maguire won a header from a corner and Kane was on hand at the far post to nod in the winner before being mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.

“I’m so proud of the lads,” Kane said. “They kept going, kept going to the last second. I am absolutely buzzing, everyone on the staff is. It shows good character to get the job done.”

“I was maybe a bit disappointed by that,” Kane said. “I guess that’s what VAR is there for, to look at them decisions. If they don’t think that was a penalty, we have to deal with that.

“For me, I struggled to get them off me. I tried to run at a few corners and couldn’t move. I guess as players there’s nothing we can do about that. We just have to hope the officials get it right more often than not.”

– Bright start –

England had started brightly in a blur of passing and movement and could have been two goals up inside the first four minutes.

First Jordan Henderson’s lofted first-time pass released Dele Alli and when the ball eventually broke to Jesse Lingard he saw his shot from six yards saved by the outstretched left boot of Mouez Hassen in the Tunisia goal.

Hassen, who had injured his left shoulder making an earlier save, could not continue and left the field in tears as he was replaced in goal by Farouk Ben Mustapha.

England continued to press and were made to pay for not converting a succession of chances when they conceded their penalty.

Kyle Walker swung a lazy arm across Fakhreddine Ben Youssef who fell as if poleaxed and Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan pointed to the spot, with his decision being upheld by the VAR.

Ferjani Sassi took one step and fired home confidently past the hitherto unemployed Jordan Pickford and Tunisia who had been outplayed for the first half-hour were somehow level 10 minutes before half-time.

Still there was time for Lingard to come close again twice, first from a goalbound shot and then a dink over the keeper which agonisingly struck the post.

Alli too hit the woodwork with a header and England went into half-time wondering how they had not sealed victory already.

England still enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but could not find the same zip and penetration they had enjoyed at the start of the first half.

The ineffective Sterling gave way to Marcus Rashford with just over 20 minutes to go and the Manchester United man almost fashioned a chance straight away with a jinking run into the box.

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It was Kane’s 26th of the season and kept him in with a chance of catching Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who sits ahead of the Tottenham striker on 30 goals in the race to finish as the Premier League’s top scorer.

But Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who face Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday, left the Amex Stadium frustrated after conceding an equaliser two minutes after Kane’s opener.

Albion drew level when Pascal Gross slotted home a penalty awarded for Serge Aurier’s foul on Jose Izquierdo.

Tottenham have gone two games without a league victory, but they are still in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.

They are in fourth place, eight points ahead of fifth placed Chelsea, who have only five matches left to close the gap.

“It was a difficult game, the first half was even and the second half we started really well. We scored but in the next section we conceded,” Pochettino said.

“We created chances but not enough to win the game. The draw is a little bit disappointing because the intention was to get all three.”

Brighton are eight points clear of the bottom three and should be safe from relegation at the end of their first season back in the top-flight.

With the FA Cup representing Tottenham’s last chance of silverware this season, Pochettino — yet to win a trophy in his four years with the north London club — made six changes from the team beaten 3-1 by Manchester City on Saturday.

Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld was handed his first league start since October in place of Davinson Sanchez, while Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier, Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier were rested.

Pochettino defended his selection, saying: “We were thinking of giving the team fresh legs because Saturday’s game against Manchester City was tough mentally and physically.

“We have a squad good enough to win games. This result was not because we rotated the team.

“Everyone is ready to play but Brighton was a very difficult opponent and we need to give credit to them.”

Lucas Moura, given his first league start as part of Pochettino’s switches, threatened with a powerful drive from distance as Tottenham tried to take control.

Tottenham winger Son Heung-Min went closest to breaking the first-half deadlock with a low shot which forced a fine save from Albion goalkeeper Mat Ryan.

Pochettino’s men took the lead when a poor pass from Gross, followed by indecision from Gaetan Bong, allowed Son to slip into the area.

The South Korean did well to keep control and the ball eventually broke for Kane to sweep home.

However, Brighton were back on level terms in the 50th minute as Izquierdo won a penalty by inducing Aurier’s rash challenge.

Regular Brighton penalty taker Glenn Murray, who has missed twice from the spot this season, stepped aside to allow German midfielder Gross to shoot under Hugo Lloris’s dive.

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Kane had Alan Shearer’s Premier League mark for a calendar year in his sights and he duly overhauled it. Shearer scored 36 times for Blackburn Rovers in 1995; Kane has finished the year with 39 and he did it from 36 matches. Shearer took 42.

Even better for Kane is that he now stands as Europe’s leading scorer from 2017 – ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, the player that he one day hopes to supplant as the best in the world. Messi has 54 goals from 63 appearances in all competitions. For Kane, it is 56 from 52.

It was an occasion when the atmosphere was slightly subdued, despite the excellence on display, and it was easy to imagine the bloated insides and fuzzy heads in the stands. Kane’s clarity of purpose shone brightly. He opened up with a header before dispatching two left-footed efforts and he is now the top scorer in this season’s Premier League with 18. Nobody would bet against him adding a third consecutive Golden Boot.

It was a miserable 90 minutes for Southampton and their manager, Mauricio Pellegrino, who heard chants from the travelling support about him being sacked in the morning. Once again he started without Virgil van Dijk in his squad – it seems inevitable the defender will get the move he has pushed for in January – and it is now seven games without a win for the club.

Pellegrino’s team were dreadful in the first half but at least they kept fighting when the game was over at 4-0. Sofiane Boufal got their first consolation goal when he beat Hugo Lloris for power at his near post, while Dusan Tadic scored the second after further uncertainty from the Tottenham goalkeeper. Pellegrino said the bad period would show him “how people really are – who are the players that want to fight 100% for the club”.

Dele Alli was impressive for Spurs, scoring one, setting up two and having a prominent role in another, while Son Heung-min also got himself on the scoresheet. But this was a game that was all about one man.

Kane could and should have had more. He touched wide from Christian Eriksen’s low cross on six minutes but he did not have to wait long for the goal that took him past Shearer and level with Messi. The opportunity might have come from the penalty spot but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s foul on Danny Rose was just outside the area on the left-hand side. When Eriksen stood over the free-kick the alarm bells continued to sound for Southampton.

The delivery was superb, bent into the corridor between goalkeeper and backline, although it was still easy to wince at the marking. Kane was more than a yard in behind Wesley Hoedt and Oriol Romeu was hopelessly on the wrong side. Kane’s header flashed home.

Southampton offered next to nothing in the first half but they almost found a way back into it via an unlikely source. Lloris flapped at Boufal’s shot, pushing it up and out and what happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Rose put too much on his attempted back header and it looked set to loop over Lloris for an own goal. The keeper, though, got something on to it, raced back and patted the ball on to his post before clutching it gratefully.

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