Harry Kane is determined to banish the memory of his penalty miss against France in the 2022 World Cup, describing it as the "worst moment" of his career and using it as fuel to propel England to victory in the upcoming tournament. The England captain's missed penalty in the 84th minute of the quarter-final clash in Qatar led to a 2-1 defeat, a moment that Kane says has motivated him to improve and lead his team to glory next summer.
Kane's ambition is fueled by the pain of that World Cup quarterfinal defeat. Despite a career that has included losing three finals with Tottenham, including the Champions League final in 2019, Kane considers the penalty miss against France as the lowest point he has experienced. The weight of responsibility he felt in that moment has driven him to become a better player.
Since that fateful night in Qatar, Kane has made significant changes to his penalty-taking technique. He has been working on introducing greater variation, including a stutter run where he waits for the goalkeeper to move before striking the ball. This adjustment led to a remarkable run of 31 successful conversions for both club and country. The streak only ended at the start of the current season when he missed for Bayern Munich in the German Cup against Wehen Wiesbaden. Since then, he has regained his composure, scoring six consecutive penalties, including one in England's recent 5-0 victory against Latvia in Riga. This win secured England's qualification for the World Cup finals, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Kane reflected on the experience, stating that he always tries to learn from difficult moments. He believes the changes he made to his technique after the missed penalty have improved him as a player. Looking ahead, Kane is eager to rewrite his World Cup narrative and guide England to lift the trophy. He acknowledges that challenging moments shape individuals and players, and the experience has undoubtedly contributed to his growth.
The striker's openness about the impact of the miss against France highlights the profound effect it had on him. He emphasized the immense responsibility he felt and how the failure weighed heavily on him.
Harry Kane's journey to becoming England's all-time top scorer is a testament to his dedication and skill. He surpassed Wayne Rooney's record in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Italy on March 23, 2023. As of today, Kane has scored 76 goals in 110 international appearances since his debut for England in 2015. He was appointed England captain in 2018.
