Harry Kane continues to display his mastery in front of goal, and his latest two strikes against DR Congo have elevated him further up one of football’s most exclusive lists.

The England skipper had already shattered numerous records during the club campaign and has kept adding to his astonishing numbers on international duty. His crucial brace helped England avoid a shock World Cup elimination and took his phenomenal 2025-26 total to 72 goals across club and country.

Here’s a look at the top 10 most prolific goalscoring seasons for club and country in the 21st century, and where Kane now stands among these legends.

Making his first of four entries on this list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted 59 goals during the 2012-13 campaign.

That season, Ronaldo’s records were remarkably balanced — maintaining a goal-per-game ratio in every competition for Real Madrid. He scored 34 goals in La Liga as Madrid finished second and also helped them reach the Champions League semi-finals.

The season that should arguably have earned him the Ballon d’Or saw Robert Lewandowski at his absolute peak for Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski struck 34 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches and an incredible 15 in his 10 Champions League appearances, leading Bayern to lift the trophy in Lisbon.

Between 2009 and 2019, only one player managed to break the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominance over the European Golden Shoe — Luis Suarez.

While he shared the honour in 2013-14, Suarez went one better in the 2015-16 season, scoring 60 goals for club and country.

He scored 40 times in La Liga, provided 18 assists, and found the net eight times in nine Champions League outings.

Barcelona’s participation in the Club World Cup allowed Suarez to add five more goals in just two matches, while he also scored in both the Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup.

On international duty, he added another goal against Brazil in Uruguay’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi features multiple times on this list.

His first appearance comes from the 2014-15 season, when he scored 62 goals across all competitions.

Of those, 43 came in La Liga as Barcelona’s fearsome attacking trio powered the club to a historic treble.

Messi also netted 10 goals in 13 Champions League games, including a memorable brace in the semi-final against Bayern Munich.

A year after his 59-goal season, Ronaldo went three better, registering 62 goals in the 2013-14 campaign.

He had a scoring rate above one goal per game in both La Liga and the Champions League, setting a record with 17 goals in Europe’s top competition — still the highest ever in a single Champions League season.

That year, Real Madrid ended their 11-year wait for the Champions League title.

Ronaldo’s most prolific La Liga campaign came in 2014-15, when he netted an extraordinary 48 goals in 35 appearances.

Despite winning the Golden Boot, Madrid once again finished runners-up to Barcelona in the league.

In Europe, Madrid’s run ended in the semi-finals after being knocked out by Juventus.

Ronaldo’s finest season in Madrid colours came in 2011-12, when the club amassed a record-breaking 100 points in La Liga.

His 46 goals in 38 matches were vital to that success, although he still finished second in the Golden Boot race.

He also scored 10 times in 10 Champions League appearances as Madrid reached the semi-finals.

While Ronaldo managed 34 league goals in 2012-13, Messi outshone him with 46.

That year, Messi amassed 69 goals for club and country, including eight in the Champions League, four in the Copa del Rey, and two in the Supercopa.

For Argentina, he grabbed two hat-tricks — one notably against arch-rivals Brazil.

Harry Kane’s astonishing season continued as he added two more goals to his tally, this time rescuing England against DR Congo.

Before the World Cup, Kane had scored 36 goals in 31 league appearances and ended the domestic season with 61 goals for his club.

With at least one more match to play, Kane still has the chance to increase his total — though surpassing the man at the top will require something truly extraordinary…

Comparing Harry Kane’s record-breaking 2025-26 season with the greatest individual years of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

It’s a record that may never be surpassed, as Lionel Messi’s 2011-12 season remains one of football’s most incredible feats.

In that campaign alone, Messi scored 82 goals — part of a calendar year in which he netted 91. For perspective, he outscored all but six La Liga teams that season.

Even so, Barcelona missed out on the league title, finishing behind Real Madrid, who earned 100 points compared to Barca’s 91.

Messi’s Champions League run included 14 goals in 11 matches as Barcelona reached the semi-finals. Their silverware came elsewhere, however, as the Catalan giants won the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup in Pep Guardiola’s final season in charge.