Harry Kane moved into an elite goalscoring club as he scored twice to help England qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Bayern Munich striker bagged a first-half brace to help the Three Lions defeat Latvia 5-0 and book their place at next summer’s tournament, continuing a rich vein of form which has seen him score 21 goals in just 13 games for club and country this season.
Kane leads the way as England secure emphatic Latvia win
Kane played a key role in helping England reach the World Cup in emphatic fashion on Tuesday evening. Already ahead thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon, the captain doubled his side’s lead against Latvia with a lovely left-footed effort after 44 minutes. And Kane did not have to wait too long to grab his second of the night, converting a penalty which he won himself following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Further gloss was added to England’s victory as an own goal from Latvia defender Maksims Tonisevs and an effort from Arsenal forward Eberechi Eze saw Thomas Tuchel’s men secure their sixth win from as many games in World Cup qualifying.
AdvertisementEngland captain joins Ronaldo in elite goalscoring club
And as a result of his heroics against Latvia, Kane joined a list of goalscoring royalty which includes Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. By netting twice in Riga, Kane took his goal tally for England to 76 in 110 caps, meaning he is now among the top five European scorers in international football history. Kane sits behind Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas (84), Poland striker Robert Lewandowski (87), Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku (89) and Ronaldo, who leads the way with 143 international goals for Portugal. The Selecao striker matched Kane by scoring twice on Tuesday night, though Roberto Martinez’s side were held to a 2-2 draw by Hungary in Group F.
Kane pays tribute to England fans after pointed Tuchel chants
While Kane and his team-mates were roared on by the passionate England faithful against Latvia, manager Tuchel faced pointed chants from the travelling fans. After the German criticised the support his players received in their 3-0 friendly win over Wales on Thursday, 9 October, chants of “Thomas Tuchel, we’ll sing when we want!” and “Thomas Tuchel, are we loud enough for you?” could be heard from the stands as the Three Lions cruised to victory at the Daugava Stadium.
And while Tuchel was in good spirits over the banter, Kane was keen to pay tribute to the England supporters after the game, telling : "I know Thomas came out after the last game and said the fans weren't great, but I don't think you can question our away support ever. The way they were tonight was fantastic. And look, we've qualified for another major tournament. We know the England fans enjoy going out – and America's going to be a special place to play – and we've got something to look forward to now. Yeah, credit to them for travelling out here and showing the noise they did.”
Tuchel, meanwhile, was quick to heap praise on Kane after his latest two goals for England, saying: "It's a pleasure to have him. He's in excellent shape, mentally, physically, in top form, top shape. Apart from scoring another two goals, look at the goal in the 85th minute from [Eze], we have a ball loss and Harry goes all the way back to his own half and puts his head down in another sprint defensively.
"As a captain, as the No 9, there's no real need to do this. No-one will ever blame him if he didn't do it. But he does it, and that sets the standards. That is so brilliant to see, because he helps us win the ball and this in the end results in the goal from [Eze]. Harry is ready to put in the intensity and the shift that is needed.”
Getty Kane's next match: Bayern host Dortmund in Der Klassiker
Kane will return to Bundesliga action when Bayern entertain rivals Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker on Saturday evening. The 32-year-old is the current leading goalscorer in Germany’s top flight, having netted a remarkable 11 times in just six games. He has also scored four goals in just two Champions League appearances so far this season, netting back-to-back braces against both Chelsea and Cypriot outfit Pafos. Vincent Kompany's Bayern are currently top of the Bundesliga table on 18 points, four ahead of Niko Kovac's in-form Dortmund side.