England’s World Cup preparations have been “top drawer”, captain Harry Kane declared as the Three Lions arrived in Kansas City, their tournament base camp, ahead of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Bayern Munich striker expressed confidence in Thomas Tuchel’s squad after a successful training camp in Florida, where England secured back-to-back friendly victories against New Zealand and Costa Rica before heading to the Midwest.
With expectations high around a team regarded among the favourites for the title, Kane said the groundwork laid over recent weeks has left the squad in an ideal position ahead of their opening Group L fixture against Croatia in Arlington, Texas.
“The way we worked, the way we trained, the preparation for games, the way we played and also just the togetherness, the way we reconnected,” Kane said after arriving at the team’s base.
“The relaxation away from it as well, the recovery part of it. Everything was at the highest level so I feel like we can come into this part of the camp knowing that we’ve had great preparation.”
England enter the tournament carrying the weight of expectation after a string of near misses at major competitions. The Three Lions reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the quarter-finals in Qatar four years later, and have twice finished runners-up at the European Championship.
Those performances have strengthened belief among supporters that England could finally end the 60-year wait for a major international trophy, with Tuchel appointed specifically to deliver World Cup success.
The German coach, who took charge with a mandate to bring silverware back to England, appeared equally encouraged by the team’s progress, insisting his players are “ready to go” as attention shifts from preparation to competition.
For Kane, the arrival in Kansas City signals the start of a different phase of the campaign.
“Now we can start to feel the real World Cup anticipation,” the England skipper said.
“Obviously we’ve still got a few more days until our first game but this is where the business starts. This is going to be our home for the next six weeks, hopefully, and looking forward to getting started.”
The 32-year-old striker was particularly pleased with England’s 3-0 victory over Costa Rica, describing the performance as one of the team’s most complete displays of the preparation period.
Observers have noted a renewed intensity in England’s approach under Tuchel, whose tactical discipline and experience at elite club level have been viewed as major assets heading into the tournament.
England’s first test will come against Croatia, a side that has consistently punched above its weight on football’s biggest stage. Croatia finished runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and reached the semi-finals in 2022, earning a reputation as one of the competition’s most resilient teams.
Kane knows that challenge better than most. He captained England in the dramatic 2018 semi-final defeat to Croatia, a result that denied the Three Lions a place in the final.
“Croatia are a difficult team,” he said.
“They proved in the last two World Cups especially that they can be one of the best teams in the tournament and we have to be ready for that.”
With confidence growing inside the England camp and a favourable build-up behind them, attention now turns to whether Tuchel’s men can transform strong preparation into the country’s first World Cup triumph since 1966.
