Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher thinks that Harry Kane would be the ‘greatest’ England player with better team-mates following the 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup round of 32 fixture.
Kane scored two goals to bring England back from being 1-0 down in the first half, which means the Three Lions will take on Mexico in the next round on Monday, July 6.
Jude Bellingham claim
In an article for the Telegraph, Carragher discussed Jude Bellingham’s claims of Kane being the greatest player to put on an England shirt.
Carragher said: “When Jude Bellingham declared Harry Kane was England’s greatest player, my first reaction was: ‘Steady on there, Jude.’
“Sir Bobby Charlton, a World Cup, European Cup and Ballon d’Or winner, has stood alone for six decades.
“It is impossible to imagine any current England player getting close. Until now.
“The more I have considered what Bellingham said, the more I have come to realise that he has a valid point.
“Ultimately, the difference between Kane and Charlton is not a question of the indisputable individual brilliance of two superstars – it is about the quality of the supporting cast.”
As good as Charlton
Carragher compared Kane’s ability to Sir Bobby Charlton who carried England to their only World Cup in 1966, saying: “Kane’s candidacy to be England’s best of all time will be generally dismissed unless he has the same success wearing the Three Lions.
“In truth, his consistent excellence at a time when England lag so far behind the elite serves to highlight why by the end of his career he might stand apart.
“For us, Kane in 2026 is exactly what Charlton was to the country 60 years ago – the beacon of hope which made the supporters believe we can finally win a major tournament.
“Sadly, he does not have Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks or Alan Ball alongside him to make those dreams a reality.
“In a stronger England era – with more world-class players around him like the Manchester United legend had in 1966 – Kane would not only have a chance of matching Charlton. He would be in a better position to eclipse him.”
READ MORE: World Cup 2026: Jamie Carragher believes England ‘rely’ on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham
Best in the world
He went on to make the claim that Kane should be looking at the World Cup trophy and if the prestigious Ballon d’Or was given early, the English marksman would be the clear choice.
He said: “Given his form and status, the World Cup should be in Kane’s sights.
“If the vote for the Ballon d’Or was being held right now, Kane would be the worthy winner, his heroics for England against DR Congo absorbing his 72nd goal of this season.
“Only Lionel Messi has recently hit those kinds of numbers. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo was so prolific in one campaign.
“Wednesday’s match also marked the 91st time Kane had captained England, surpassing Moore’s tally.”
Kane’s used to it
Carragher drew a comparison of Kane’s England side to his time at Tottenham Hotspur, saying: “Until he joined Bayern Munich, the biggest obstacle to Kane winning the biggest prizes in football was the team he played for.
“All those years when he suffered the jibes for never winning anything had nothing to do with his ability.
“Right now, Kane must think playing for England is similar to playing for Tottenham Hotspur, when he knew that no matter how many he scored, or how close he was to a 10/10 individual performance, he would miss out on winners’ medals.
“The rest of the team was nowhere near good enough.
“The difference is he could leave Spurs for Bayern and join a club more likely to match his abilities and ambitions.”
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