England captain Harry Kane says he has taken his game to “another level” and is now a proven winner.
Kane, 32, even admitted he has a “different feeling” with a “weight off his shoulders” because he has become so used to winning trophies with European giants Bayern Munich.
Kane has broken goal scoring records, won the Bundesliga, German cup and is taking that confidence into his sixth major tournament as a player.
That has helped elevate Kane as a striker, leader and England’s captain in the way that he now believes this could be his best opportunity to win the biggest prize of all.
Kane will lead England out in their Group opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday (9pm), and the 32-year-old said: “I think there’s a different feeling for sure. For me personally to have that weight off my shoulders is important. Especially this year having the trophies and having the cup final where I scored a hat-trick, my first big moment in a final – I think that is only going to help me as a player.
“Also I think the perception around me has probably changed in the last few years, the fact that I’ve won those trophies means I’m seen a bit differently from the outside or by people around, and maybe even teammates, I’m not quite sure.
“Just in terms of the general feeling about me I think there’s been a shift but it’s not just me, our squad this year a lot of us have been in winning teams, won trophies and had big moments where they’ve been the star of that moment. So that as a team will only help us in this experience.”
View 5 ImagesKane has however lifted plenty of silverware at Bayern Munich(Image: Getty Images)
England crashed out in the quarter finals in Qatar against France four years ago but now approach this tournament under head coach Thomas Tuchel and a burning desire to end 60 years of heartbreak since they last won in 1966.
Kane was the butt of social media jokes for not winning anything during his time at boyhood club Tottenham. He has also been troubled by form and fitness ahead of previous tournaments, but now he comes into World Cup 2026 on the back of a 61-goal record breaking season. It is Ballon D’Or winning form.
“I’m coming into it in the best way possible, the best place physically, mentally, coming off the season that I’ve had,” said Kane. “Throughout a career, there aren’t loads of times when all the pieces of the puzzle will come together at the right moment.
“Talking now, I feel like I’m in that place. I feel, like you said, the last couple of years I have been elevated to another level, even from my own standards. Maybe the freedom I’m playing with now, having won those trophies, has helped that.
“But with every tournament, I always feel like, especially being the striker, being the goalscorer, you’re under pressure, people expect you to be the one to score and win the game and help the team in that sense and I guess this is no different.
“But I’m comfortable having that responsibility, and I’m probably even more comfortable going into this year because of the way the season was for me, for sure.”
Kane says that he has taken something from every tournament that he has played in. But he also thinks the disappointments – such as his penalty miss against France in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup in Qatar – only serve as extra motivation.
He added: “Obviously this is my sixth tournament now. Some good, some not so good. You learn through every moment. I’ve done that throughout my career. It’s very rare that you’re going to have a career at this level, play at that many tournaments, without having some ups and downs along the way.
“I feel like the downs especially have almost motivated me to be better, going back to the last World Cup and the disappointment with the way that ended.
View 5 ImagesKane has reached two finals with England but is yet to claim silverware(Image: Getty Images)
“After the time it took me to process it all and move on, it gave me an extra bite, an extra edge to really improve and push on. And get back to this stage where I am now. I couldn’t be in a better place from that sense.
“As an experienced player, someone who’s gone far in tournaments, you have to be patient. Of course we want to start in the best way possible, we want to start with a win and I want to start by scoring goals but that is not always the case.
“In World Cups, things can be taken out of context. If you go two games without scoring in a World Cup there is a lot of noise around you. Two games without scoring for Bayern Munich and nobody bats an eye.
“From that side, I feel like I’ve dealt with those things well. I might have to do the same here. Hopefully not, hopefully I’ll start well but we’ll have to wait and see. So I think we have to take bits of that into this tournament for sure.
“The World Cup is the biggest stage and the highest pressure but if you can have those feelings of freedom on the pitch and also just being together, knowing that we all have each other’s backs no matter what happens I think allows people to be at their best.
“Of course time will tell. I’m always sceptical about talking pre-tournament because ultimately it’s going to be determined by what we do on the pitch and we’re going to have to show it with the football we play. But essentially we have confidence going into this World Cup for sure.”
View 5 ImagesKane is raring to go ahead of the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)
One aspect that England will hope to get them over the line is boss Tuchel. And Kane has suggested that the German is now firmly in tournament mode.
England captain Kane says he has noticed a change in Tuchel’s mindset and mood as the serious business starts now. Kane said: “The manager, I think for sure, will start to change. Already, some of the meetings that we had have been extremely passionate.
“I felt that a little bit also at Bayern Munich as we got later on in the Champions League, the feeling you got from him was even more intense and even more passionate, and he’s someone who wears the heart on the sleeve.
“So, 100 per cent there will start to be a little bit of a shift. I feel like there has already a little bit. We were in prep camp, so we didn’t want to be too intense too early, so I think that will come.
“Already being here in Kansas, and the meetings leading up to the first game. We’ll see, obviously, as we go along. The manager is extremely experienced in big tournaments, major tournaments, and I think he’ll find the right tone as we go along.”
View 5 ImagesKane believes Tuchel now has his eyes firmly fixed on glory(Image: Getty Images)
Harry Kane has spoken about fulfilling his dream of emulating his hero David Beckham. Three Lions captain Kane was pictured with Beckham when he was an 11-year-old attending the England legend’s football academy back in 2005.
Now, Kane will equal Beckham’s tally of 115 caps when he leads England out against Croatia and could overtake Wayne Rooney during this tournament as the most capped outfield player of all time.
It will be a proud moment for Kane who says he is fulfilling all his childhood dreams as he approaches his sixth major tournament. Kane said: “First of all, extremely proud to hopefully reach the same amount of caps as Sir David.
“He was a hero of mine growing up. I was a massive England fan and him being England captain, he was a big inspiration to me, just the way he worked on the pitch but also how he was off the pitch as well.”
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