Harry Kane’s American Dream: England Captain Targets World Cup Glory in Dallas
Harry Kane has spent much of his career drawing inspiration from American sport, and there could hardly be a more fitting backdrop for his latest pursuit of glory than AT&T Stadium in Dallas — home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys — where England kick off their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia on Wednesday.
According to The Guardian, Kane’s fascination with US sports culture stretches back to 2011, when he was a teenager struggling to break through at Tottenham. It was then that he stumbled upon The Brady 6, a documentary about how Tom Brady was passed over by six other quarterbacks before the New England Patriots eventually selected him with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady went on to win seven Super Bowls, and Kane — who has followed his career closely ever since — travelled to Atlanta in 2019 to watch Brady claim his sixth ring.
After that game, Brady invited Kane to the team party, and a photo of the pair together, Kane wearing a Patriots No 12 replica jersey, has since become something of a symbol of their unlikely friendship. The two have stayed in contact.
Kane has drawn a clear parallel between Brady’s underdog journey and his own. “People didn’t expect much from Tom Brady,” Kane is quoted as saying. “Seeing the way he went about his business … to go on and be the greatest ever player in his sport is maybe reminiscent of me earlier in my career. In that people doubted me and I worked hard to turn that around.”
It is not hard to see why Kane feels the comparison holds. He broke through at Spurs in 2014 against the doubters, became England’s record goalscorer, and last season produced a remarkable 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich, helping the club win both the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal.
And yet for all that individual success, a major trophy has eluded him at international level. Kane has appeared in five major finals — three with Spurs and two with England — losing all of them without scoring in any. This World Cup represents perhaps his clearest shot at changing that.
England’s second group match against Ghana takes place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — the actual home of the Patriots — which Kane admits is the fixture he is most looking forward to off the pitch. “I’ve never been to the Gillette Stadium before,” he said.
Follow all the live standings as England’s Group stage unfolds over the coming days.