Harry Kane Sees 2026 World Cup As England's Best Chance To Win

Harry Kane states this summer offers the strongest chance of World Cup glory in England colours. The England captain feels at peak level as the team prepare for a final warm-up against Costa Rica on Tuesday, ahead of their World Cup opener with Croatia on 17 June.

Data from the Opta supercomputer places England among the main favourites for the World Cup. The model gives Spain a 16.1% chance, France 13%, and England 11.2%, ranking England third. Kane’s own numbers support that optimism after a prolific season with Bayern Munich.

Kane delivered 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich in 2025-26, excluding the Club World Cup. No player across Europe’s top five leagues matched that total. The striker previously claimed the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, when England finished fourth, and now targets the main trophy itself.

Reflecting on both experience and fitness, Kane underlined how important this opportunity feels. "This is my third tournament now, the shape I'm in and also coming off the season I've had, It's probably the best opportunity I'll have maybe in my whole career to win the World Cup," he told ITV Sport. That belief feeds into wider confidence around the squad.

The clash with Costa Rica in Florida is England’s final test before facing Croatia. All 31 squad members trained together in warm conditions as preparations continued.

The Opta projections and Kane’s form sit against a long wait for global success. "We haven't won in an England shirt for 60 years, we've been extremely close and knocking on that door. But now it's time to step over that line. This tournament always could be your last, you never know in football. I want to play for a long time, I feel as good as I've ever felt - I feel in my prime. But you never know what's around the corner with injuries."

England’s recent record against Costa Rica and other CONCACAF teams offers further encouragement before the World Cup. They drew 0-0 with Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup, then won 2-0 in a June 2018 friendly, with goals from Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck. Since a 2-0 defeat to the United States in June 1993, England remain unbeaten in 16 matches against CONCACAF opposition, with 12 wins, four draws and only four goals conceded.

Those statistics, together with Kane’s view of being in prime condition, frame England’s push in this World Cup. The squad enter the tournament with strong numbers, positive recent history and a captain who believes this might be the best window to finally add another world title.