Kane: This is the level we know we can reach

Harry Kane, the striker and captain of the English national team, appeared in a press statement following the 4-2 victory over the Croatian national team in the first round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Kane said in his speech: "This is the level we know we are capable of reaching. The first half was somewhat balanced, but I think we created some good moments and scored two goals. The goals we conceded were a bit disappointing, especially the second one due to how far back we retreated, which is not like us and does not represent the team we want to be."

Regarding the coach's talk at halftime: "The coach told us, 'Let's go, raise the tempo, press man-to-man, and take full control of the match.' And that's exactly what happened. You saw us at our best, both with and without the ball, and we could have scored three or four goals during those twenty minutes of the second half. We did what was required of us and finished the match well in the end."

He concluded about the penalty kick he took, which the goalkeeper saved the first time, then he successfully scored after it was retaken: "When I watched the footage, I noticed that Livaković likes to move early, so I knew there was a chance he would step off the goal line if I made a short stop before shooting. I was 80% sure he left the line, but not 100% certain. When the kick was retaken, I changed my shooting style slightly. That's why I always do research and analysis, and in the end, things worked out great for me."