Harry Kane fired England to the 2026 World Cup and into an elite goal-scoring club on Tuesday night after netting twice in a 5-0 win over Latvia.
The Bayern Munich striker struck a left-footed finish before converting a penalty he won himself, taking his tally to 76 goals in 110 caps. Anthony Gordon, an own goal from Maksims Tonisevs, and Eberechi Eze added to the rout as England made it six wins from six in qualifying.
Kane’s brace moved him into the top five European international scorers of all time, joining Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku, Robert Lewandowski, and Ferenc Puskas. Ronaldo also netted twice on the night as Portugal drew 2-2 with Hungary.
Despite the dominant win, manager Thomas Tuchel faced playful chants from travelling fans after previously criticising their noise levels. Supporters sang, “Thomas Tuchel, we’ll sing when we want!” as England cruised in Riga.
Kane later praised the fans, telling ITV Sport: “You can’t question our away support. They were fantastic tonight. We’ve qualified for another major tournament — America’s going to be a special place to play.”
Tuchel hailed his captain’s all-round display, saying: “It’s a pleasure to have him. He’s in top form, mentally and physically. Even late in the game, he sprinted back to defend that sets the standard.”
Kane now turns his focus back to club football, with Bayern Munich hosting Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker on Saturday. The 32-year-old leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with 11 goals in six matches.
RECOMMENDED STORIES:
