Harry Kane will wear a different kit from his England teammates against Croatia because of a little-known World Cup rule.
Harry Kane’s England shirt will look a little different from his teammates’ during the Three Lions’ first World Cup game against Croatia – and there’s a fun reason behind it.
England will start their Group L matches against old rivals Croatia in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday, June 17. Coach Thomas Tuchel is expected to make some big decisions about who plays.
Reports say Tuchel will likely pick Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke in attack instead of Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka. Marc Guéhi might miss out, with Ezri Konsa probably joining John Stones in central defense. Jude Bellingham is expected to play as the No. 10, with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson behind him in midfield.
Veterans Jordan Pickford and captain Harry Kane should start, and Reece James and Nico O’Reilly look set to take the full-back spots.
Kane will be matching a big milestone against Croatia, earning his 115th cap and tying with David Beckham as England’s third-most capped player. The Bayern Munich striker told ITV how special this is: “When you’re young, you dream of being a footballer. Now, reaching 115 caps and going to my sixth tournament as captain with a goal record feels amazing, but I’ll really appreciate it once I stop playing. For now, I’m just focused on the next game and getting better every day.”
While Kane’s milestone will be talked about a lot, fans might not realize why his shirt stands out. Kane will wear a special Golden Boot patch during the World Cup because he’s one of only three players – along with Kylian Mbappé and James Rodríguez – to have won the award before. Kane won it in 2018, Mbappé in 2022, and Rodríguez in 2014.
New players making their World Cup debut will also wear a special debut patch for their first games. After the matches, these patches are taken off and made into Topps trading cards.
In May, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino shared that FIFA is teaming up with Fanatics (who own Topps). This new partnership starts in 2031 and will include the first-ever player jersey patch program, kicking off at this World Cup. It’s an exciting new way to celebrate the players and the tournament!