Harry Kane made a blistering start to England's World Cup 2026 campaign, but former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann has warned that the striker's lack of pace could hinder the Three Lions' pursuit of silverware.
Hamann Doubts Kane's Ability to Lead England to Glory
Hamann, a former Germany international, expressed reservations about whether Kane can guide England to their first major honour since the 1966 World Cup. Despite Kane scoring twice in England's 4-2 victory over Croatia, Hamann pointed to the striker's lack of speed as a potential weakness.
Speaking as a pundit for RTE, Hamann said: "I think there are a few centre-forwards in this tournament I would probably rather have in my team than him because in tournament football you can score on the counter attack, but he won't score on the counter attack."
He added: "When you play against the best team, sometimes you have to sit back, and then you have to go 50, 60 yards to score a goal. Now, if Madueke takes off, Gordon takes off, Rashford takes off, he won't be able to keep up with them."
Kane's Finishing Ability Unquestioned
Hamann acknowledged Kane's finishing prowess, calling it "probably the best in the tournament, probably best in the world." However, he questioned whether Kane would get into scoring positions against top sides like Germany, Brazil, or France.
"I'm sitting on the fence for now, but I have got my doubts about him," Hamann said. "I think you need at some stage in a tournament you need pace, and he simply hasn't got it."
Kane Equals Lineker's Record
Kane's brace against Croatia saw him equal Gary Lineker's record of 10 World Cup goals, marking another milestone in his illustrious career. The Bayern Munich striker has been a key figure for England over 11 years and six international tournaments.
Despite the doubts, Kane remains focused on the team's performance. After the match, he revealed the inspiring team talk from manager Thomas Tuchel that led to England's dominant second half.
"He told us to take the shackles off, calm down and let's go. He said what's the worst that can happen? Show the world who we can be," Kane said. "We came out in the second half full gas and they couldn't live with it, and that's the level we have to set in every game."
England's Next Challenge
England, top of Group L, face Ghana next Tuesday. Ghana also started their campaign positively with a 1-0 win over Panama. England will look to build on their strong start and prove the doubters wrong.
