Harry Kane: England captain makes bold prediction ahead of World Cup squad announcement - ‘As good as we’ve ever had’
Published 21/05/2026 at 12:00 GMT+1
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Harry Kane has highlighted the quality of England's squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, claiming the Three Lions are "one of the favourites" heading to North America.
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England are aiming to win football's most prestigious trophy for the first time in 60 years.
And Kane, who has scored 58 goals across all competitions in a prolific season for Bayern Munich, believes his country can challenge for glory in North America.
Thomas Tuchel's final 26-man England squad will be announced on Friday. Their opening group game is against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.
"I think our squad is as good as we’ve ever had," Kane told the Press Association.
"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.
"We’ve been building together as a team over the past few camps under Thomas. I think we’ve set the standard, and now we look forward to continuing this into the World Cup next month.
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"There’s always something special about playing at the World Cup. There’s a special feeling inside, especially when you win.
"We know how much a World Cup win would mean, not just to us, but to the fans and the country itself. That’s what drives us on the pitch, and hopefully we can bring it home for the fans."
Kane will again be England's talismanic figure at the World Cup, with 78 goals in 112 appearances for the national team.
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The 32-year-old has been scoring at the highest level for many years; it is a decade since he won his first Premier League Golden Boot with Tottenham Hotspur.
But he explained that he is now a more well-rounded player.
"When I won my first Golden Boot, I was still fairly young," he said. "I’m at a stage of my career where I’m definitely a different player from what I was 10 years 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.
"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.
"I am enjoying the player that I am now, for sure."
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Kane currently has seven goals to his name at World Cup finals and three more this summer would bring him level with Gary Lineker, who is the country's record scorer at World Cups with 10.
"Gary was an incredible striker for England and to achieve 10 World Cup goals is impressive," Kane added.
"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.
"But the ultimate motivation is playing with the boys and winning matches. If I score those goals to pass Gary’s record, it means I’m helping the team win, and that’s the perfect scenario."
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