England equalize after a Kane penalty
Harry Kane equaled England’s goalscoring record with his 53rd goal but his night ended in agony with a 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France.
Kane equalized for Wayne Rooney with a second-half penalty in Qatar.
But the 29-year-old spurned the chance to surpass Rooney when he missed a second spot-kick later in the game.
“It’s difficult to take it personally for me and for the team,” Kane told BBC Sport. “It’s going to be something I have to live with and take on the chin.”
He added: “I couldn’t be prouder of the boys. We had better spells, better chances, but football is all about small details – as captain and the one who missed the penalty, I take responsibility for that.
“I can’t fault my preparation or the details before the game. I felt confident going into it, I just didn’t execute it the way I wanted to.”
The Tottenham striker scored his first goal for England 79 seconds after making his debut in 2015 – the year before Rooney scored his last goal.
Kane hit his mark with remarkable speed, with his latest appearance coming in just his 80th appearance.
Against France, Kane coolly slotted the first penalty into the bottom corner from 12 yards to make it 1-1.
But with England 2-1 down, he blasted a second chance over the bar in the 84th minute.
Kane takes charge after being knocked out of the World Cup
“We know how many penalties Harry has given us, how many goals he’s contributed to even getting here,” team-mate Jordan Henderson said.
“He will be stronger for it in the future. He is a world class striker and our captain. He will recover.”
England coach Gareth Southgate added: “As you would expect, Harry is very, very short, but there is nothing to complain about. We are in the position we are because of his leadership and goals.
“We win and lose as a team. He was incredible for us and reliable in those situations; we wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for him.”
Former England striker Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I really feel for Harry Kane. He is a brilliant goalscorer.
“I think there are people who think he shouldn’t have taken the second penalty. I think I should have. That will live with him forever.”
Kane has been in stellar form for England since March 2021, scoring 21 goals in 29 games, including seven in four days in World Cup qualifiers against Albania and San Marino last November.
He now jointly leads a group of six Englishmen who have scored more than 40 goals for the Three Lions.
Ellen White was England Women’s leading goalscorer with 52 goals in 113 appearances before retiring after they won Euro 2022.
PlayerGoalsGamesHarry Kane (2015-present)5380Wayne Rooney (2003-2018)53120Bobby Charlton (1958-1970)49106Gary Lineker (1984-1992)4880Jimmy Greaves (1959-1967)4457Michael Owen (1998-08)
With 49 goals to his name, Sir Bobby Charlton held the men’s record for 45 years until he was overtaken by Rooney in 2015.
Kane had just three goals for England when Rooney broke Charlton’s record, but has been scoring at a phenomenal rate since.
Of the six players to score 40 or more goals for England, only Jimmy Greaves has done so at a higher rate – one every 1.3 games compared to Kane’s 1.5.
His record includes six at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, making him only the third Englishman to win the Golden Boot at a major tournament, joining Gary Lineker at the 1986 World Cup and Alan Shearer at the 1996 European Championships.
He has also broken a number of other England records, including scoring an unprecedented 16 goals for his country in a calendar year in 2021.
Shearer sympathized with Kane, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “That’s the life of a centre-forward.
“You put yourself in those positions and it will haunt Harry for the rest of his life.”
Kane still has some way to go if he is to challenge the world record for international goals held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 118 goals in 196 games for Portugal.
His international achievement comes in the middle of what is shaping up to be another prolific club season, with his 13 goals in 22 games in 2022-23 taking his tally for Spurs to 261 in 408 games.
His 195 league goals mean he is third in the Premier League’s all-time goalscoring list, 65 behind record holder Shearer.
No player has taken more penalties in World Cup history than Harry Kane (four)
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