Kane eyes Panama hat-trick repeat after England stumble against Ghana in World Cup opener

Harry Kane is targeting a second hat-trick against Panama on Saturday as England look to recover from a disappointing 0-0 draw with Ghana that has complicated their path through World Cup 2026 Group L.

Kane, captaining Thomas Tuchel’s side, scored a treble — two penalties and a fortunate finish — in England’s 6-1 demolition of Panama at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He was self-deprecating about the quality of that milestone but made clear he would take the same outcome again. “A couple of pens and a lucky goal. Yeah, it wasn’t my most beautiful hat-trick to be honest,” Kane said. “I’ll take that again on Saturday, for sure.”

A win in Boston against Ghana on Tuesday would have secured first place in the group with a game to spare, allowing Tuchel to rotate freely. Instead, England must approach the Panama fixture in a far more cautious frame of mind. Finishing second in Group L would, based on current projections, set up a last-32 meeting with Portugal and a potential last-16 clash with Spain — a considerably tougher route than the Cape Verde tie that awaits the group winners.

Despite the raised stakes, Kane suggested Tuchel may still make changes to keep the squad fresh ahead of what could be a six-game run to the final. “I think the boss will be clear on his decisions, it wouldn’t surprise me if he made some changes anyway and just kept the team fresh,” Kane said. “He knows, as well as all of us, there is an extra game as well, so a long way to go, and we are in a good spot.”

Kane also offered a tactical preview of what England expect from Panama, anticipating a more open contest than the low-block they encountered against Ghana. “Panama, we expect probably a bit of a different game, so whoever plays in that one will be ready, will be energetic from the start, and probably won’t face as much of a low block. There will be periods where we have to break it down for sure, but that’s what the squad is for.”

With potentially six games still to play, Kane was keen to stress the importance of squad depth. “There are another six games to go, hopefully, so a lot of football to be played, and whoever’s on the pitch, the guys will be ready.”