Kane cites Messi's longevity as reason to keep England future open after World Cup exit

Harry Kane is leaving his England future deliberately open-ended after the Three Lions were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup at the semi-final stage, beaten 2-1 by Argentina on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old captain, who scored six goals and added one assist during the tournament, said Lionel Messi’s ability to perform at the highest level at 39 — helping Argentina reach the final — had reshaped how he thinks about his own longevity on the international stage.

“As you see on the other end with Leo there, he’s still performing at the highest level. So I never want to put a limit on these things,” Kane said. “It’s too early to talk about that. Again, me as a person, it’s about taking it year by year.”

Kane was a driving force in England’s run to the last four, netting in knockout-round victories over DR Congo and Mexico and regularly dropping deep to contribute to build-up play despite operating as a striker. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring against Argentina in the 55th minute from one such move, but England could not hold on.

Notably, Kane failed to find the net in either the quarter-final against Norway or the semi-final against Argentina — a detail that may sharpen his motivation to return for a fourth World Cup campaign in 2030, when he would be 36.

Playing for England, Kane said, is “my pride and joy” and what he “loves to do more than anything.” Whether that love translates into a commitment to the 2030 cycle is a question he is not yet ready to answer, but his admiration for Messi’s example suggests the door remains firmly open.