Anthony Gordon was full of praise for England captain Harry Kane after the striker inspired a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo in the World Cup Round of 32. With England staring at another painful early exit, Kane once again delivered when his team needed him most. The skipper brought England level with a towering header in the 75th minute before completing the turnaround 11 minutes later with a superb finish from inside the box. His match-winning brace rescued England from a difficult position and booked their place in the Round of 16. The Three Lions will now take on co-hosts Mexico in a blockbuster knockout clash at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Sunday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Gordon described the England captain as one of the game’s elite players. He went a step further by comparing Kane’s incredible season with Lionel Messi‘s, saying only the Argentine has produced a better campaign.
“It’s amazing to be around him every day because when you’re around someone at the elite level, he’s at the very, very top of football,” Gordon said of Kane. “He’s having a season that’s only ever been beat by Leo Messi, the greatest footballer of all time. So that speaks to the level he’s playing at,” he added.
The England captain finished as the Bundesliga’s leading scorer for the third successive campaign after scoring 36 league goals, the highest tally by any player across Europe’s top five leagues this season. He also built on his incredible 2025-26 campaign, in which he scored 61 goals in all competitions.
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Gordon also revealed what sets Kane apart behind the scenes, saying the England captain’s relentless work ethic and professionalism are the biggest reasons for his sustained success at the highest level.
“When you’re around someone like that, you want to pick up as many habits and watch everything he does to see why he’s at that level. It’s no accident. It’s consistency every day: how hard he works, every finishing drill, he does it with passion, he does it with seriousness. He never, ever misses a beat. It’s amazing to be around him. He’s definitely an inspiration to all of us,” he added.
“Kane plays at such a high level”
Reflecting on Kane’s stunning winner, the new-Barcelona signinng said the finish came as no surprise to those who train with him every day, insisting the England captain produces that level of quality with remarkable regularity.
“As soon as he hit it, I knew it was going in. I was already celebrating, but anyone can score a good goal. Anyone at this level can place the ball in the top corner but it’s the consistency that he does. Every day in training, every game is phenomenal. He plays at such a high, high level,” he concluded.
