Thomas Tuchel has pointedly taken Harry Kane’s side at the World Cup—and in doing so, has reignited the old debate about signing him. The national team coach sees his captain at the peak of his career and delivers a clear jab at former skeptics.
The occasion: After England’s narrow 3-2 victory over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16, Tuchel took the time to offer detailed praise. Kane is “in the best phase of his career,” the 52-year-old said of his captain.
The current national team coach previously worked with the striker himself at FC Bayern. In the summer of 2023, the record champions had brought Kane to Munich from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported transfer fee of around 95 million euros.
Tuchel alludes to past critics
Tuchel was now looking back on that very transfer—and sent a clear message. “I’m still glad that I fought to bring him to FC Bayern Munich—against some other opinions,” the coach explained. He left it unclear who he was referring to.
However, in his opinion, not all Bayern executives were convinced by the move to sign Kane. After Tuchel’s departure, Bayern chairman Uli Hoeneß, in particular, repeatedly took jabs at Tuchel and publicly criticized the Munich club’s former coach on multiple occasions. Now, in turn, Tuchel has taken a subtle dig at Bayern’s front office.
Kane is a “special player” with a “special personality,” Tuchel continued to gush afterward. The move to Munich was the right one for the forward. The coach highlighted the “winning culture” at the German record champions—an environment that apparently suits Kane well.
Tuchel also assessed Kane’s on-field development. Under his successor, Vincent Kompany, FC Bayern has implemented “a very intense style of play,” he explained. That, he said, is precisely what accounts for Kane’s current top form. “It’s just great to see how committed he is and what a team player he is here,” added the national team coach.
Kane Dreams of a Title with England
On the field, Kane is impressively backing up his coach’s words. At the 2026 World Cup, the captain already has six tournament goals to his name; against Mexico, he coolly converted a penalty kick. With a total of 14 World Cup goals, the 32-year-old has long been England’s all-time leading scorer at World Cups.
In the quarterfinals on Saturday (11 p.m. CET), England will face Norway—and top striker Erling Haaland.