Can Harry Kane lead England to World Cup success in Qatar?

Harry Kane has proved himself in fine form this domestic football season. Undoubtedly, the 29-year-old has one eye on the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar this winter as he gets ready to lead his country out at another major tournament. Having already reached one one major final with England - the question is whether he can do the same again this year.

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Harry Kane for Tottenham Hotspur

As Tottenham are hoping to qualify again for the Champions League this season, Harry Kane will be happy with his performance so far this season. The Tottenham captain has already tallied up ten goals for the club in the first twelve games in the Premier League and finds himself arguably in the best form of his life - despite having played all 90 minutes in all but one of Tottenham’s 16 fixtures this season.

Kane is consistently proving his versatility in front of goal. With goals from both feet and half of this season’s ongoing tally from headers, his talent in the air is as good as that on the ground. It’s this adaptability that not only serves Tottenham so well, but will help provide England coach Gareth Southgate with a wealth of goalscoring opportunities in Qatar this winter.

As his teammate Clement Lenglet put it, ‘Harry Kane is to Tottenham what Lionel Messi is to Barcelona.’ If the stats speak for anything, this could be the year that he has that size of an impact on England.

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Harry Kane for England

For the past year, Kane has been his country’s top scorer with 12 goals in an England shirt since August 2021, and that’s without considering that he was also England’s top scorer at EURO 2022 with four goals. At 51 goals in total for the Three Lions, just three more will see him surpass Wayne Rooney to become the country’s greatest ever goal scorer - a feat he’s bound to conquer in Qatar.

It’s no secret that England boss Gareth Southgate favours Kane’s talent over that of any other option, consistently building his England set up around him. As Southgate told the press this summer that [Kane] gives us so many options,’ it became evident that the England boss was certain in his beliefs of Kane’s ability to lead England to another major competition.

To further bolster his versatility on the pitch, Kane has also proven himself as one of the best penalty takers in world football. Since the 2018/2019 he’s netted 33 whilst missing only four for both club and country, and if England’s history in recent tournaments is anything to go by - they’ll want to be prepared for potential penalties.

To Qatar and beyond

There’s a lot of talk surrounding Harry Kane’s ability, versatility and statistics on the ball - but what is often overlooked is his approach to captaincy. For both club and country, the Tottenham frontman has consistently demonstrated his leadership qualities - from bringing up the next generation to clawing back games to clinch a result.

His approach is modest, and not that of an unnecessary aggressive nature - a trait that has perhaps played a part in producing one of the tightest-knit England squad’s the world has seen in many years. 

After such heartbreak at EURO 2020 against Italy, the England captain will be wary of the responsibility on his shoulders - but isn’t the type of character to shirk his duty. Harry Kane will be more than ready to right the wrongs from last summer. 

But there's more than just a World Cup medal on the table for Harry Kane this year. As he approaches 30 in outstanding form, there are plenty of rumours that suggest his time in North London could be limited. 

Although one of the greatest players in the world, his lack of accolades at club level is cause for concern and suggest he’s struggling to match his potential. 

With clubs such as Bayern Munich demonstrating keen interest, Qatar is the perfect stage in which to showcase his talent and push for a club move, much to the heartbreak of Tottenham fans. Leading England to a historic World Cup win is sure to peak interest from those eager to pull Kane away from North London.