Harry Kane set to spearhead England's World Cup title bid
Three Lions will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L
Striker has been in exceptional form for Bayern Munich
It speaks to Harry Kane’s psyche that a moment of crushing disappointment only served to strengthen his resolve and ultimately elevate his sky-high levels.
The superstar striker is primed to captain his country at FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will mark his return to the global showpiece after a heartbreaking end to his Qatar 2022 campaign. In England’s quarter-final against France, Kane had a golden opportunity to draw his team level but sent an 84th-minute penalty over the crossbar as the Three Lions fell to a 2-1 defeat.
“It was personally a real tough moment in my career to go through,” Kane told FIFA. “For sure, I had to be mentally really strong to come through that – and I did. I almost felt like it made me a better player in the end.”
Indeed, since that showdown at Al Bayt Stadium, Kane has gone on to irrefutably cement his status as one of the greatest strikers of his generation.
Just three months after the World Cup, Kane broke Wayne Rooney’s all-time England scoring record, netting his history-making 54th goal in a clash with Italy at Wembley. He has added a further 24 goals to that tally, spearheading his nation’s charge to the UEFA EURO 2024 final and qualification for World Cup 2026.
At club level, Kane has racked up barely plausible numbers for Bayern Munich, and he has struck more than 50 times for the Bundesliga champions this season.
Kane is heading to the World Cup in confident mood, then, and with the belief England can be the last team standing in North America. The Three Lions skipper provided an insight into the mentality he will take into the tournament – and on how he will strive to support the England players taking their first steps on the biggest stage.
“The bottom line is this is what you dreamed of as a kid, and I think it’s easy sometimes to get here [to the World Cup] and then maybe fear the occasion or fear failing, but that’s part of life.
“This is what we live for. That‘s why we’re on the pitch, that’s why we train every day, to have this opportunity and to express ourselves in that moment.
“It’s obviously easier said than done, but that’s where maybe experienced players like me can help some of the younger players to just feel free. Ultimately, it’s a short career, and you don’t get to play in many major tournaments, so why waste it having fear? Just go out there and express yourself.”
Read on for our full interview with Harry Kane.
FIFA: How would you sum up what the World Cup means to you?
Harry Kane: For me, the World Cup is the pinnacle of a professional footballer’s career. This will be my third one, and the excitement almost gets stronger because you know how much it means. You know how big the tournament is, how special it is to play in front of the fans and play in the different stadiums. I’m just excited to be able to do it again.
You have been in England teams that have been very close to winning titles. How much does that motivate you to take that final step?
When you get so close, it’s a really devastating feeling when you don’t quite manage to win it. I know how much it would mean [to win the trophy] – not just to us, the players and the staff, but the fans and the country itself. I think it would just be a memory that everyone will have for a lifetime. The fact that we’ve been so close definitely motivates me to be there and get there again and try to go that one step further.
How inspiring is it to see that incredible support you get from home?
That’s what makes it special and that’s what makes every major tournament the way it is. You see how much it means to everyone. Of course, you know the fans are behind you and the pressure is on, but that’s part and parcel of being where we are. The fact that we’ve been close definitely helps us in being able to handle it, but the expectation is high now. When you get to two finals [of the EURO] and semi-finals of the World Cup, people expect you to win the next one. We know that, and we have to be ready for that.
On another theme, you’re a big American football fan. How was that passion ignited and how much are you looking forward to playing in NFL stadiums at the World Cup?
I was about 16 or 17 and I watched a Tom Brady documentary. I really appreciated him as a sportsman and, from that moment, I learnt more about NFL. I became a New England Patriots fan because of it and because of Tom. I just fell in love with it.
It’s going to be great to play in some of those stadiums. We obviously go to Boston [to play Ghana], and we play at the New England stadium as well, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ve never been before, so that’ll be a special one for me.
You’ve spoken about possibly playing the sport professionally. Is that still something you have in mind?
You never know! Maybe as a kicker. I’ve done it a few times, but we’ll have to wait and see. It might be something I’ll try towards the end of the career, for sure. But I also know to be able to do it at a high level, you’re going have to have a lot of dedication. We’ll have to wait and see.
Getting back to England, you are the team’s captain. How have you grown as a leader over the years?
Being captain is such a high honour, and it’s something I never take for granted. When I got the captaincy early on in my career, I was still fairly young. I’m at a stage of my career now where I’m definitely a different captain. I’ve learnt a lot from when I first got it to now. I’m more experienced. To do it in another World Cup will be extremely special, and something I’ll always cherish.
Thomas Tuchel has spoken about the team spirit and confidence in the group. How important is that heading into a World Cup?
The good thing that we’ve built over time, even before the boss was here, is that togetherness. Thomas has definitely been big on that since he’s come in. Of course, you’ve got tactics and you’ve got the football side of it, but when you’re away with your team-mates for eight weeks, it a lot about how you connect and that brotherhood that you have. It’s been a big emphasis going into this tournament. With the group we have, everyone really understands each other, is really open with each other, and we all know we’re trying to achieve the same thing.
The England players who won the 1966 World Cup are legendary figures in the country’s sporting history. What would it mean to join that pantheon of greats?
That’s hard to even think about. That will be a bridge to cross when we get there, I guess, because there’s such a long way to go. It’s been a long time [since England won the World Cup] and I know much how much every English fan is craving for England to win. We all hope that we can be a part of that history, and kind of cement our names in that history, but we also know there’s a big mountain to climb to get there. It’s going take a lot of sacrifice, a lot of hard work, and that’s what we’re willing to do.