Kane determined to continue for England beyond 2026 World Cup

Harry Kane does not expect the 2026 World Cup to be his final major tournament with England.

Kane scored his 69th senior goal for the Three Lions as they crushed the Republic of Ireland 5-0 on Sunday to seal automatic promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League.

However, interim coach Lee Carsley benched Kane for England’s previous game, a 3-0 victory in Greece on Thursday, and the striker was roundly criticised for his performances at Euro 2024 despite earning a share of the Golden Boot with three goals as his team reached the final.

Now 31 years old, Kane does not expect the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada to be his final shot at international glory and is holding out hope of featuring on home soil at Euro 2028.

Asked if the 2026 tournament could represent his international swansong, Kane told PA: “I don’t think so.

“I think there’s a perception when you get to your 30s that you’re coming to an end, but for me, I’m performing at the highest level I’ve ever performed and feel as good as I’ve ever felt, so it’s about taking in the moment.

“I don’t like to look too far ahead and in my career, I never have. The World Cup is going to be exciting.

“In America it will be an incredible occasion and ultimately it’s about trying to win that, looking at where you are, where to improve and it will be no different in a couple of years.”

Kane has scored 61 goals in all competitions since joining Bayern Munich last August, at least eight more than any other player from Europe’s top five leagues (Erling Haaland has 53).

Kane scored 44 of those goals under former Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, who will take charge of England on January 1.

Only Haaland under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City (53) has more under a single manager in that span across Europe’s big five leagues.

Kane was speaking at the unveiling of a statue in his honour at the Peter May Sports Centre in east London, where he represented his first team as a five-year-old.

“It’s pretty special to be honest,” Kane told BBC Newsround. “I played on these pitches as a five-year-old with dreams of playing for England, and I’ve been lucky enough to achieve that.

“Hopefully the boys and girls will walk past and be inspired by the story of my journey, my life and hard work.”