The England star’s World Cup campaign couldn’t have gotten off to a better start in a 4-2 win over Croatia.
The three points were already in the bag. After 94 minutes, England led Croatia 4-2. The Three Lions had gone into the half level at 2-2 thanks to a brace from Harry Kane, eventually pulling away in the second half. Yet, with the win secured and the final whistle seconds away, Kane, deep in his own box, threw himself at Joško Gvardiol’s shot and blocked it to keep England’s two-goal advantage.
This is nothing new for Kane. The striker is used to playing in non-striker positions. In October, Bayern Munich took on Borussia Dortmund in an early-season Der Klassiker matchup. Kane put the Bavarians up after 22 minutes from the corner, and for the remaining 68 minutes, he was absolutely everywhere. Bayern narrowly won 2-1, and afterwards, Kane was asked by ESPN’s Bundesliga Correspondent, Archie Rhind-Tutt, what position he really played.
“Probably six, eight, and ten,” replied Kane.
That’s not an exaggeration. Tune into any game this season, Bayern Munich or England, and it’s often unclear what position he’s playing. Sometimes, as you may guess from his 64 goals, he’s at the edge of the box, waiting for Michael Olise or Luis Díaz to feed him the ball. Other times, Kane is at the half, looking to find one of the wingers with a pass of his own. Against Croatia, he was in his own box, defending as if his life were on the line.
This can be both a blessing and a curse. Under Thomas Tuchel, the Bayern Munich attack was less than lethal at times, and the Bundesliga side needed Kane to be the Tottenham goalscorer they broke the bank on. He often came through, but not always — and, unfortunately for Kane, he often fell short when it mattered most. Kane, a player whose stats have so often failed to do him justice, was flattered by his goalscoring record for much of his first two seasons in Bavaria.
This season, Kane leveled up in every possible way. In his first two seasons with Bayern, he scored 44 and 38 goals, respectively. This year, that jumped to a barely believable 64. He may have recorded fewer assists, but he completed more passes and was a better playmaker than in the past. Defensively, he is more complete than he had been. At 32 years old, Kane simply got better.
His record in big games improved substantially, as well. He dominated both Der Klassikers and buried RB Leipzig twice. He scored a hat-trick against VfB Stuttgart to win Bayern the DFB Pokal for the first time since 2020. In the Champions League, he was unstoppable, with top performances against Atalanta, Real Madrid, and PSG, although the Parisiens ultimately knocked Bayern out. He, more than any Bayern attacker, deserved the Champions League this season.
His first real test for England was on Wednesday, when the Three Lions took on Croatia in their World Cup opener. Kane had demons to exorcise, too. Eight years earlier, with England up 1-0 in the semi-final, the ball fell to Kane, and he elected to shoot instead of squaring the ball to Raheem Sterling. His shot was saved, and the rebound smashed into the post. Croatia eventually pulled level and won the game in extra time to reach the World Cup Final.
In Dallas, it looked like history may have repeated itself, albeit on a lesser level. Noni Madueke earned a penalty kick just ten minutes in, and Kane, usually so reliable from the spot, was denied by Dominik Livaković. However, Livaković had left his line early, so Kane got a do-over. He promptly smashed it in the same direction, scoring this time for the 1-0 lead. Thirty minutes later, he scored again and went on to win Man of the Match.
Kane is not the only Ballon d’Or candidate. The Champions League winners, PSG, certainly have their share of names to put forward, whether it’s Vitinha, João Neves, or defending champion Ousmane Dembélé. Barcelona will undoubtedly push for Lamine Yamal. Kane has several teammates of his own who deserve votes, namely Michael Olise and even Luis Díaz.
But Harry Kane’s fate really does lie in his own hands. Despite being considered a powerhouse, England has won the World Cup just once, back in 1966. For over half a century, fans have chanted “it’s coming home,” and for over half a century, they have been disappointed. Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, and countless others have fallen short. In some cases, they haven’t even come close: Rooney has fewer career World Cup goals than Kane scored on Wednesday.
The stars have aligned for this England team to change that disappointment. England has one of the best tournament managers in the world in Thomas Tuchel. Bayern and Kane may have been underwhelming during Tuchel’s stay in Munich, but it’s tough to argue with his track record in the Champions League. England has a solid defense and three €100 million midfielders in Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice.
To Kane’s left, there’s Anthony Gordon, who has just completed a massive move to FC Barcelona, and Marcus Rashford, who has just left the Catalan giants. On his right, there are Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka, who finally got over the line with Arsenal. It may not be an attack that rivals France, but it is more than capable. Most importantly, there’s the man in the middle: Kane.
The World Cup is far from a guarantee, but it is also very possible for England to win. Of the favorites, England has perhaps got off to the best start. Spain limped to a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, while France struggled to break down Senegal before eventually winning 3-1. Defending champions Argentina may have beaten Algeria 3-0, but the side remains heavily reliant on 38-year-old Lionel Messi.
For so long, Harry Kane’s career has been a “what if” story. What if Spurs won the Premier League? What if he had left sooner? What if he had passed to Sterling? Now, though, he stands on the edge of greatness. What he does, or does not do, could well see him lift more than one trophy that has eluded him to date.
