England captain Harry Kane has said he believes a successful World Cup campaign with his country could place him among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or as he prepares for this summer’s tournament.
The striker heads into the competition in impressive form after another highly productive season with Bayern Munich, where he scored 61 goals in all competitions. Kane also ended the campaign on a high note by scoring a hat-trick in the DFB-Pokal final as Bayern secured a domestic double under manager Vincent Kompany.
With England’s players gathering in Florida for a pre-tournament training camp, Kane is expected to play a central role in the team’s attempt to win a first major international trophy since 1966.
The 32-year-old believes that success on football’s biggest international stage could have a significant impact on individual recognition and hopes that leading England to World Cup glory would strengthen his chances of claiming the Ballon d’Or.
England arrive at the tournament with growing optimism following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel, who has been entrusted with guiding the national side to long-awaited silverware.
Kane already knows the German coach well from their time together at Bayern Munich and spoke warmly about the influence Tuchel has had on both his game and the England setup.
“At Bayern, I loved his personality, his ideas for the team, and the way he got me playing. In a way, he brought those methods to the national team,” he said.
The captain’s comments reflect confidence in the direction of the team under its new manager as preparations intensify ahead of the competition.
England have established a record of progressing deep into major tournaments in recent years, reaching the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. The team also advanced to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals of the 2022 edition.
While those performances demonstrated England’s ability to compete with the world’s best teams, they also highlighted the challenge of taking the final step and securing a major title.
Kane acknowledged that recent results show the progress the national side has made but stressed that the ultimate objective remains lifting the World Cup trophy.
“The ambition is to win it [the World Cup], obviously, that has to be our goal,” he said.
“We know it will be difficult, but we have been close in recent years to winning a major tournament.
“This year, we will have a new coach, new players. It is exciting — even if this kind of competition generates a lot of pressure.”
The England captain’s remarks underline the sense of anticipation surrounding the squad as it embarks on a new chapter under Tuchel. With a refreshed coaching team and new faces within the squad, England will hope to build on the progress made in previous tournaments.
For Kane, the World Cup presents an opportunity not only to help end England’s decades-long wait for major honours but also to strengthen his standing among the game’s elite players. His goalscoring form and leadership will be crucial if England are to fulfil their ambitions and challenge for the sport’s biggest prize.
As the tournament approaches, England’s hopes of success appear closely tied to the performances of their captain, who arrives in the United States in arguably some of the best form of his career.
