Kane breaks Rooney's caps record as England face Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Harry Kane will make history before a ball is kicked when England face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, surpassing Wayne Rooney’s record of 120 outfield caps for the Three Lions. The Bayern Munich striker, already England’s all-time leading scorer, described the occasion as the realisation of a childhood dream and expressed firm belief that this is England’s moment to finally end their long wait for major silverware.

“To be successful, you have to knock on the door and knock on the door and be there,” Kane said. “All of a sudden it’s your turn and that’s the feeling we’ve got to take going into these games.” Asked directly whether he has that feeling, Kane was unequivocal: “I have that feeling for sure.”

England have come agonisingly close in recent years — losing in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, falling short at the 2022 tournament, and suffering back-to-back European Championship final defeats. Kane acknowledged those near-misses but framed them as part of the process of building a winning mentality.

The 31-year-old also reached back into his own history with Argentina to explain what the fixture means to him. His standout England memory is not one of his own goals but David Beckham’s winning penalty against the same opponents at the 2002 World Cup — a moment of redemption for Beckham after his red card against Argentina four years earlier.

“Red kit, yellow armband,” Kane recalled. “We all knew what Beckham went through previously against Argentina and that redemption story of scoring that penalty, his celebration — that’s one of my favourite England memories. Beckham was a big idol of mine, so that one stands out for sure.”

Now Kane finds himself cast in a similar role: captain, record-breaker, and the man England are looking to for inspiration against the reigning world champions. He was careful not to let the historical narrative overshadow the tactical challenge ahead, describing Argentina as “smart, tactical, who know how to buy fouls, know how to slow the game down.”

“It’s England versus Argentina — two of the biggest nations going toe to toe, two giants in a semi-final of a World Cup,” he said. “From a player’s point of view, it’s us against a great team. The rest of it is just a small part for us.”

England have not reached a World Cup final since winning the tournament on home soil in 1966.