Harry Kane’s Place Among England’s Top Scorers Excluding Penalties
Harry Kane holds the record as England’s all-time leading scorer, having netted 65 goals. He overtook Wayne Rooney's previous mark of 53 goals by scoring a penalty against Italy during the Euro 2024 qualifiers in March 2023.
Scoring Breakdown: Penalties vs Open Play
Out of Kane's 65 goals, 21 have come from penalties. This means he has scored 44 goals from open play. Kane has taken 25 penalties for England, converting 21 and missing 4.
Ranking Without Penalty Goals
When excluding penalty goals, Kane is not England’s top scorer. Here is how he ranks among England’s best scorers without penalties:
- Bobby Charlton - 46 non-penalty goals
- Wayne Rooney - 46 non-penalty goals
- Gary Lineker - 44 non-penalty goals
- Harry Kane - 44 non-penalty goals
Bobby Charlton
Sir Bobby Charlton leads with 46 non-penalty goals. The Manchester United legend scored 49 goals in total for England, only three of which were penalties. Charlton ranks third on the overall England scoring list and is a World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or recipient.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney also has 46 goals excluding penalties. His total of 53 goals includes seven penalties. Although he was England's top scorer before Kane, Rooney now stands second behind Kane in total goals.
Gary Lineker
Lineker scored 48 goals overall, with four from the penalty spot, giving him 44 non-penalty goals. He holds fourth place on England’s all-time list and remains one of their most prolific strikers.
Harry Kane
Kane matches Lineker with 44 non-penalty goals but remains England’s highest overall scorer with 65 goals. The Tottenham forward has set a high standard for future generations of England players.
Additional Notes
A penalty carries an expected goal (xG) value of 0.76, making it highly likely to result in a goal. Kane’s ability to convert penalties is a key part of his scoring tally, but his open-play goals underline his quality as a striker.
As Kane continues to add to his tally, he sets a challenging target for those who follow. His achievements put him alongside some of England’s greatest footballers.
