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Harry Kane reacts to Lionel Messi comparison after England heroics: 'He and Ronaldo are the pinnacle'
Harry Kane's display earned glowing praise from teammate Anthony Gordon, who compared his current level to that of Lionel Messi.
The VAR denied Harry Kane what looked like a clear penalty, but the momentary frustration only seemed to fire him up in England's FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against DR Congo. Trailing 1-0 after a sluggish start, England struggled to find their rhythm before the hydration break. But they emerged a transformed side afterwards, with Kane leading the comeback through a match-winning brace.
England had fallen behind as early as the seventh minute and looked far from their best for large parts of the opening half. However, relentless pressure after the restart finally paid off when Kane powered home the equaliser in the 75th minute before striking again with just five minutes remaining to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory.
The brace not only extended Kane's record as England men's all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, but also took him to five goals in the tournament—just one behind joint Golden Boot leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
His display earned glowing praise from teammate Anthony Gordon, who compared Kane's current level to that of Messi.
"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. He's having a season that's only ever been beaten by Leo Messi, the greatest footballer of all time. So that speaks to the level he's playing at," Gordon said.
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the match, Kane was informed about Gordon's comments. The England captain, however, preferred to turn the spotlight towards the two modern greats who continue to inspire him.
"That's why you do all the work behind the scenes. The things that you guys don't see when we are in training, when we are at home doing recovery, doing ice baths, doing treatment – all the little details that help you stay consistently at the highest level for as long as possible," Kane said.
"Those guys, Messi and Ronaldo, are at the pinnacle of that. I feel as well as I've ever felt, and when I step onto the pitch, I know all the work I've done behind the scenes prepares me for moments like these. That's exactly what happened today."
England will now face Mexico in the Round of 16 on July 6 at the Estadio Azteca, where the co-hosts have lost just two of their 79 competitive home matches over the past six decades.
