England manager Thomas Tuchel has voiced his unwavering support for Harry Kane as the Three Lions set their sights on the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Despite some criticism and debate around Kane's form, Tuchel has firmly asserted his confidence in the Bayern Munich striker's abilities and his crucial role in the national team.
Kane, who recently equaled Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for England in the recent 2-0 win against Andorra, has been a mainstay in the national team for years. While his performance against Andorra drew some criticism, with only two shots and 12 touches, Tuchel dismissed any concerns, attributing it to the natural rhythm-finding process at the beginning of a new season. He highlighted Kane's impressive goal-scoring record for Bayern Munich, stating that there are "no doubts about him".
Tuchel acknowledged the importance of having multiple options in the striker position. While Kane remains the primary choice, Tuchel mentioned other players who could fill the role, including Ollie Watkins, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen, and Anthony Gordon. This highlights Tuchel's strategy of creating a versatile and adaptable attacking lineup, ensuring that England has sufficient firepower for the challenges ahead.
England has been drawn into Group K for the World Cup qualifiers, alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. So far, they have maintained a perfect record in the qualifiers. The team's journey to the 2026 World Cup began in March 2025, and their final group game is scheduled for November 2025 against Albania. As the group winner, England will automatically qualify for the World Cup. The team that finishes second will have to navigate through the play-offs.
Looking ahead to the World Cup, one of Tuchel's main challenges will be team selection. He will need to strike a balance between experienced players like Kane, Jordan Pickford, and new, emerging talents. Squad sizes have increased to 26 players due to the demanding conditions, and Tuchel will need to carefully consider how to utilize all his players effectively.
Tuchel has already started his preparations for the 2026 World Cup, including scouting training base locations and gathering information about the conditions in the host countries. He has also been in contact with Harry Kane and other England players to learn more about their experiences and how they cope with different environments.
England's recent history in major tournaments shows that they are close to achieving success. Under Gareth Southgate, they reached the World Cup semi-final in 2018 and quarter-final in 2022, as well as the Euro finals in 2020 and 2024. With Thomas Tuchel now at the helm, the team will be aiming to take that final step and win their first major trophy since 1966.
