Gordon: Kane is at a level only Messi has surpassed
By Luke Oluoch, July 2, 2026England’s Anthony Gordon has heaped praise on teammate and skipper Harry Kane, commending his unique work ethic, dedication, and professionalism at the elite football level.
Speaking after the Three Lions skipper inspired the country into the round of 16 with a brace to knock out DR Congo, Gordon stated it was no accident that Kane has reached such heights.
Only Messi surpasses him
The new Barcelona winger stated that after training and playing alongside him, he could see why Kane is at a level that he believes only Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer of all time, according to him, has surpassed.
“Anyone can score a good goal. Anyone at this level can put the ball in the top corner, but it’s the consistency with which he does it. Every day in training. Every game. It is phenomenal. He plays at such a high level.”
“It is amazing to be around him every day. He’s having a season that has only ever been beaten by Messi, the greatest player of all time,” Gordon remarked.
Golden boot race
The England striker, who has taken his club form with Bayern Munich to the World Cup, is now on a roll after his brace for England hauled his tournament tally to five goals. He remains in contention for a second World Cup golden boot alongside Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi.
That speaks to the level he’s playing at. When you’re around someone like that, you want to pick up as many habits and watch everything he does, to see why he is at that level.
“It is no accident how hard he works. He does it with passion. He does it with seriousness. He never, ever messes about. It’s amazing to be around him and he’s definitely an inspiration to all of us,” he posited.
The feat comes after he became England’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup games, moving ahead of legend Gary Lineker following his goal against Panama in the final Group L match.
The English talisman also joined Cristiano Ronaldo in the elite company of the only two European players in history to have scored 20 or more goals across the EUROs and the World Cup.
With 72 goals for club and country so far (11 for England and 61 for Bayern Munich), Kane is also only the second player to have scored more goals in a single season in the 21st century, sitting just behind Lionel Messi’s historic 82-goal mark during the 2011/12 campaign.