Former Bayern Munich player thinks Harry Kane just doesn’t have the key quality needed to lead England to World Cup victory.
England kicked off their World Cup with an exciting 4-2 win over Croatia, thanks to Harry Kane scoring twice. With those goals, Kane became England’s joint top scorer in the World Cup, tying with Gary Lineker at 10 goals—both of whom have won the golden boot.
In the second half, Thomas Tuchel’s team grabbed all three points as Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford scored, bringing the final score to 4-2 after a 2-2 draw at halftime. Tuchel seemed happy with Kane’s performance since he did what he’s best at—scoring goals.
But not everyone shares that view. After England’s win, former player Dietmar Hamann told RTE that he’s not convinced Kane is the right man to lead England to World Cup glory. He even said there are other forwards in the tournament he would pick before Kane.
Hamann explained, “Out of Kane’s 10 World Cup goals, seven or eight came in group stage matches. He needs to show he can score in the knockout rounds, like the last 16 or quarterfinals. So far, he hasn’t done that.”
He added, “There are a few strikers I’d prefer. Kane isn’t great on counterattacks, and against top teams, you often have to work hard to score from distance. When players like Madueke, Gordon, or Rashford sprint forward, Kane might struggle to keep up. I’m still unsure if Kane has what it takes to take England all the way.”
“His finishing? Probably the best in the world. Give him a chance, and he’ll score. But will he find those chances against teams like Germany, Brazil, or France? That’s the question.”
It’s true Kane has scored in important games before, like against France in the 2022 World Cup and the Netherlands in the 2024 European Championship knockout rounds. Even though scoring late in tournaments has been tough for him, he now has a chance to prove the doubters wrong and help England win their second World Cup title, 60 years after their first.