England captain Harry Kane has backed one Arsenal star to shine for his country at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions have not won a major trophy since their last World Cup triumph in 1966. They came close under former manager Gareth Southgate when they reached the finals of the 2020 Euros, but didn't get over the line.
There is some belief amongst English supporters that serial cup winner and recently appointed head coach, Thomas Tuchel, could help the Three Lions win with the 26-man squad selected for the prestigious summer tournament.
One of the players in the squad who has had a stellar season is Arsenal's Declan Rice. He has helped the Gunners win the Premier League trophy after a 22-year wait. He also guided the Gunners to their second-ever UEFA Champions League final, but sadly for Arsenal, they lost the final to Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern Munich striker and England captain Harry Kane has backed Rice to thrive at the 2026 summer event. He said to Bleacher Report, when asked which England player he expects to shine at the summer event (via HITC):
“That’s a good question. I look at someone like Dec. I feel like he’s consistently been playing at a high level for a long period of time. He’s getting to that kind of age where you start to I think mix the experience plus the physical attributes that he brings.
“You have kind of the mindset maybe shifts a little bit it’s not his first tournament. So, all those things kind of add up. So, yeah, but if I was to say anyone, I think Dec. I hope he has a great tournament, and yeah, I have a special feeling about him this summer.”
England are in Group L at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will first take on Croatia on June 17, before their remaining 2 group stage matches against Ghana (June 23) and Panama (June 27).
Kobbie Mainoo sends confident England World Cup message
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has claimed that England have the squad to win the World Cup this summer. Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said (via HITC):
England have travelled to the USA to start their preparations for the summer event. They have set up camp in Miami to get used to the conditions ahead of the tournament.