Harry Kane is convinced England’s current group is among the strongest he has seen in his international career, insisting the squad is ready to finally end a 60-year wait for World Cup glory this summer.
The 32-year-old will captain the Three Lions as they head to North America with a clear objective: to become the first Englishman to lift the trophy since Bobby Moore in 1966. After consecutive European Championship finals under Sir Gareth Southgate, England secured their spot in the World Cup with ease under Thomas Tuchel, setting up what Kane says is a squad that can go all the way.
Kane believes the team’s momentum and quality across the pitch make them genuine contenders, pointing to the form and impact of players such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. With the skipper claiming he is “playing the best football of my career,” he also sees depth as a major strength, arguing that England can hit opponents with different options both in the starting lineup and from the bench.
“I think our squad is as good as we’ve ever had,” Kane said. “I think when you look at the starting XI, you look at the players coming off the bench, we’re going into the tournament as one of the favourites.”
He added that the team has been building its identity over recent camps, working together “over the past few camps” under Tuchel. Kane believes those standards have been established and that England can now carry that level into the tournament.
“I think we’ve set the standard, and now we look forward to continuing this into the World Cup next month,” he said. “There’s always something special about playing at the World Cup. There’s a special feeling inside, especially when you win.”
For Kane, the motivation is not limited to personal achievement. He stressed what a World Cup win would represent for the players, the fans, and the country as a whole, saying that shared sense of purpose is what drives England during matches and gives them a target to chase.
“We know how much a World Cup win would mean, not just to us, but to the fans and the country itself,” he said. “That’s what drives us on the pitch, and hopefully we can bring it home for the fans.”
Kane arrives at this World Cup with a major club-season backdrop at Bayern Munich, where he scored 58 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions. It is also a decade since he claimed his first of three Premier League Golden Boots, and while he has not stopped finding the net, he says his overall game has grown and matured into something broader than pure finishing.
He describes himself as a “complete footballer,” explaining that his role has evolved from the early days of winning his first Golden Boot to the more refined version of his game he brings now. “When I won my first Golden Boot, I was still fairly young,” Kane said. “I’m at a stage of my career where I’m definitely a different player from what I was 10 years ago.”
According to Kane, experience has helped him develop further, particularly through improving how he drops into deeper spaces and links play. He believes his reading of the game and positioning have reached a different level compared to a decade ago.
“I’ve learnt a lot from then to now. I’m more experienced. I’ve developed my game by dropping into those deeper spaces and linking up play,” he said. “My understanding of the game and my positioning have reached a completely different level. I feel like a much more complete footballer. And honestly, I think I am playing the best football of my career right now.”
He added that he is enjoying the player he has become. “I am enjoying the player that I am now, for sure.”
Alongside England’s collective ambition, Kane is also targeting another personal landmark in the tournament. This summer, he is chasing three goals that would take him past Gary Lineker as England’s record scorer at World Cup finals.
“Gary was an incredible striker for England, and to achieve 10 World Cup goals is impressive,” Kane said. “Personal milestones are, of course, a motivator. As a striker, I always want to score every time I step on to the pitch, and those milestones are always nice things to achieve.”
However, Kane insists the ultimate priority remains results with the squad. He suggested that reaching Lineker’s tally would only matter if it helps England win, framing the dream scenario as both personal and team success.
“But the ultimate motivation is playing with the boys and winning matches,” he added. “If I score those goals to pass Gary’s record, it means I’m helping the team win, and that’s the perfect scenario.”
Kane is also giving fans a different kind of “golden boot” experience away from the pitch. He has donated a match-worn boot to be cast as the TOCA Trophy, with supporters invited to take part in an “England challenge” at immersive venues to try and win it for themselves.
“I got to give the challenge a go and it was great fun,” Kane said. “I ended up playing for ages because I wanted to beat my score, and it was more challenging than I thought it would be.”
