Kane: This is another chapter in our story

England captain Harry Kane admitted that the quarter-final victory over Norway was incredibly tough and exhausting, but emphasized that the team is yet to show its best football at the 2026 World Cup. The striker shared his initial impressions after securing a spot in the global Top 4.

“This is just another chapter in our story. The match was extremely difficult, and the weather was hot and truly brutal. It was even tougher than the game against Mexico. This was definitely not our most beautiful performance on the pitch. I said before that we have another level we can reach, and I still feel we haven't hit it yet, but fortunately, we have players who decide matches. Jude Bellingham once again changed the course of the game, and all the other lads did a tremendous amount of hard work and gave their all,” Kane stated.

When asked about the critical comments from head coach Thomas Tuchel, who expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of play, the captain revealed what happened behind the scenes.

“He came into the dressing room, congratulated us enthusiastically, and told us we should celebrate. At the same time, however, you can feel that a part of him knows we can perform much better, which in a way is a great thing,” the striker added.

The Three Lions' record goalscorer sees the coach's criticism as a significant reason for optimism ahead of the decisive battles for the title.

“If we're in a World Cup semi-final and at the same time we know we can still improve and step up our game, we should take that as a huge positive. If we start to handle the ball a bit better and more accurately, we have some very big matches ahead. The recovery time now is extremely short. The next game will be even tougher, whether we face Argentina or Switzerland,” Kane concluded.