“As soon as he hit it [for his second goal], I knew it was going in. I was already celebrating.”
Anthony Gordon’s words to the media in the aftermath of England’s edgy 2-1 victory over Congo DR in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 summed up the esteem in which hero Harry Kane is held by his team-mates and the sense of inevitability that if anyone was going to save their blushes, it would be the totemic attacker.
They say cometh the hour, cometh the man, and the inspirational Three Lions captain is constantly living up to that adage and rising to the occasion. With his team teetering on the brink and the Central Africans dreaming of causing a historic upset, the Bayern Munich frontman stepped up to deliver the goods yet again.
“I try to be the best version of myself. Leading by example is one of my biggest traits and my biggest mottos I try to live by,” Kane stressed after a masterclass in clinical finishing in which he found the net twice from just three attempts on target.
“What a crazy game. To come back in the way we did is just extremely pleasing and makes me proud of the group, proud of the boys. [It was a] tough game and for myself, personally, one of my favourites in an England shirt now; to get a couple of goals and help the team over the line is obviously a magical, magical feeling,” the striker enthused.
A highly relieved Thomas Tuchel unsurprisingly heaped plaudits on his No9. “Harry is our captain. He’s our leader. He decides football matches with unbelievable finishes and did it here twice. The second one was just a brilliant goal.”
Quizzed about the string of superstar sharpshooters who are setting this year’s FIFA World Cup™ alight, from Kane to Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi, the German tactician pointed to their predatory instincts as a common denominator: “They’re all sharks. If they smell blood, they come and score.”
Instrumental midfielder Declan Rice was equally effusive in his praise for the former Tottenham Hotspur hotshot: “He’s just ridiculous: [he’s got] 72 goals this season, I think – that’s just not normal. They’re ridiculous numbers. He’s a proper leader, a captain. He trains every day and gets on with everyone in the group. When you have someone who can win a game for you like that... That second goal, he just reverse-whips it into the top corner, and it was ridiculous to see. What a player. We’re very lucky to have him.”
While Rice was the first to embrace Kane in the wake of what turned out to be the match-winner, sprinting over to celebrate with his skipper, Gordon – who set up both England goals – could be seen covering his face with his hands in disbelief before clicking his fingers in awe at the centre-forward’s exploits.
“Anyone can score a good goal: anyone at this level can place the ball in the top corner,” the livewire winger said before noting that what sets the 32-year-old apart is his unfailing reliability. “Every day in training, every game is phenomenal. He plays at such a high, high level. It’s no accident. It’s consistency every day. He never, ever misses a beat. It’s amazing to be around him. He’s definitely an inspiration to all of us.”
The resilience Tuchel’s troops exhibited in this encounter will likely be required again in spades in their next assignment: a trip to Mexico City to take on co-hosts El Tri. Kane was keen to emphasise that he and his team-mates should savour both the dramatic victory in Atlanta and the challenge that lies ahead.
“I think it’s easy sometimes when you’re one of the bigger nations to just let these moments slip by, but no matter who you are, you have to enjoy going through in knockout football,” the veteran highlighted.
The two-time Bundesliga champion added that he would be urging his team-mates to “enjoy this moment, get back and recover” before gearing up for an “even tougher” task: “Mexico in Mexico! What an amazing game to be a part of.”
Courtesy: FIFA
