So, that’s it, then. The 2018 World Cup finals have been a thrill - but the tournament is now over.France lifted the World Cup trophy on Sunday evening after defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium.Goals from Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, plus a Mario Mandzukic own goal, ensured Les Bleus were crowned world champions for the second time.Mbappe picked up the award for Best Young Player at this summer’s World Cup while the Golden Ball was won by Croatia’s Luka Modric.Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove accolade, and it was England’s Harry Kane who secured the Golden Boot award.Despite the fact he didn’t score in the quarter-finals, semi-finals or third-place play-off, the Tottenham striker still sealed the prestigious individual accolade with six goals.Kane scored five goals in the group stages - two against Tunisia and three against Panama - and then netted from the penalty spot against Colombia in the last 16.
Shearer sends tweet to Harry Kane
No other player at this summer’s tournament scored more than four goals. Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo, Denis Cheryshev, Mbappe and Griezmann all end the tournament in joint-second place.
Kane subsequently becomes the first Englishman to win the World Cup Golden Boot since Gary Lineker in 1986.
Alan Shearer, who is obviously good friends with Lineker, couldn’t resist taking a cheeky dig at his colleague on social media.
Congratulating Kane on winning the Golden Boot, Shearer tweeted: “Congratulations @HKane on winning the golden boot. You can now spend the next 32 years bleating on about it like the last English person to do it has !!! @GaryLineker”
Lineker responds
Take that, Gary. Shearer is clearly delighted that Lineker is no longer the only Englishman to have won the Golden Boot.
Lineker later tweeted: “Can’t recall ever mentioning it.”
In fairness to Lineker, though, he also posted a nice tweet to Kane after the final whistle.
“Congratulations to @HKane on winning the golden boot,” he tweeted. “Welcome to the club, young man.”
It might well be another three decades before another Englishman wins it.
However, you can be certain that Kane will already be looking to repeat the feat in Qatar in four years time.
The man lives to score goals.