England’s hopes at the 2026 World Cup rest almost entirely on the shoulders of one man, and that man is Harry Kane.
The 32-year-old striker enters the tournament on the back of the finest season of his already remarkable career, having scored 64 goals in 56 games for Bayern Munich.
Kane’s importance to Thomas Tuchel’s side was laid bare during March friendlies at Wembley, when England drew with Uruguay and lost to Japan in his absence.
Former England striker Chris Sutton summed up that dependency bluntly, telling BBC Sport: “Harry Kane is so important that if he announced his international retirement this afternoon, everyone would instantly view England’s World Cup chances in a different, more pessimistic light.”
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June, with Kane’s fitness representing Tuchel’s single greatest concern heading into the tournament.
As England’s all-time record scorer with 78 goals in 112 appearances, Kane’s status is unmatched, and Tuchel has no one remotely close to his quality available in reserve.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, working as a BBC Radio 5 Live match analyst at the tournament, was unequivocal in his assessment of Kane’s standing within the squad.
Robinson said: “Kane is one player England can’t do without. Irreplaceable. If England do well, it means Harry Kane’s done well. This is the level of importance that he carries for England.”
Kane arrives at this World Cup having finally ended the trophy drought that haunted his years at Tottenham Hotspur, winning a second successive Bundesliga with Bayern Munich before scoring a hat-trick in their 3-0 German Cup final victory over Stuttgart.
Robinson added: “I think this could be a really big tournament for him. Tuchel takes big decisions, changes personnel and systems, but one thing he never changes is using Harry Kane as his single striker.”
Kane’s tournament history has been mixed, with the low of taking seven corners without scoring at Euro 2016 against Iceland balanced by winning the Golden Boot in Russia in 2018 with six goals in six games.
More recent disappointments include a penalty miss in the 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in Qatar, and being substituted in all of England’s knockout matches at Euro 2024, including after just 61 minutes of the final loss to Spain in Berlin.
Despite those struggles in Germany, Kane still finished as joint top scorer at Euro 2024 with three goals from seven games, demonstrating his enduring ability to contribute even when not at his sharpest.
Sutton noted that Kane appears in a far better condition now than he did heading into that tournament, saying: “England are in a better place going into this World Cup with regards to Harry Kane than when they went into Euro 2024. He didn’t seem quite right, maybe carrying an injury.”
At this World Cup, Kane has the opportunity to surpass Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament, currently sitting on eight goals from 11 appearances compared to Lineker’s 10 from 12.
Robinson is also in no doubt that Kane deserves to be considered the best striker in the world, stating: “You look at the numbers he and Erling Haaland post, and I think Kane is a better finisher than Haaland. I also think he’s a better all-round footballer than Haaland.”
Sutton reinforced that view, saying: “Harry Kane has instincts that are simply uncoachable. This is what makes him such a great player. His team-mates feel it and, just as importantly, opponents can feel it. They fear Harry Kane.”
Adding to the sense of occasion surrounding Kane this summer, Robinson believes he is the clear frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or, saying: “He wins it this year. Who else wins it? There is absolutely no reason he should not win it – for me there is nobody else that wins it.”
England face New Zealand in a pre-tournament friendly at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, before their attention turns fully to ending 60 years of hurt on football’s biggest stage.
