Kane calls 2026 World Cup 'best opportunity in my career' as England target 60-year wait

Harry Kane has declared the 2026 World Cup his greatest chance of winning football’s biggest prize, telling ITV that his current form and fitness make this tournament — his third — the moment England finally end a 60-year wait for a major trophy.

The England captain arrives in North America having scored 61 goals and registered seven assists for Bayern Munich in 2024-25, a campaign that also yielded the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Cup. Those numbers have placed the 32-year-old among the leading Ballon d’Or contenders, though Kane made clear his focus lies firmly with the Three Lions rather than individual honours.

“The World Cup, for me, is the pinnacle of any career,” Kane said. “This is my third tournament now and I’ll probably just say, the shape I’m in and coming off the season I’ve had, it’s probably the best opportunity I’ll get in my career to win the World Cup.”

Kane also acknowledged the possibility that 2026 could be his final World Cup appearance. “It could be your last because you never know what happens in football,” he said. “You know what I’m like, I want to play for a long, long time. I feel in my prime, as fit as I’ve ever felt, that hunger is there — but it could be my last.”

Asked about England’s reliance on him as their primary source of goals, Kane drew comparisons with other elite strikers in international football. “I think Erling Haaland with Norway, Mbappe with France — when you have a main goalscorer in your team you’re expected to score the goals. It doesn’t mean that’s a bad thing,” he said.

The Bayern striker was keen to stress that England possess attacking threat beyond himself, pointing to a squad in which most players claimed silverware during the domestic season. “We haven’t won in an England shirt for 60 years; we’ve been extremely close and knocking on that door. Now it’s time to step over that line for sure,” he added.

England’s campaign takes place in the tournament’s 60th anniversary year since their only previous World Cup triumph, on home soil in 1966.