Sports
Harry Kane's Leadership Could Finally End England's World Cup Drought
For the first time in a very long time, England have a World Cup star in Harry Kane who enjoys embracing the moment.
And sometimes, the World’s biggest sporting event is as simple as that.
Kane’s second-half brace to lead the Three Lions back from the brink of early elimination shouldn’t ease all the skepticism surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
This was a team that was significantly troubled by DR Congo during 90 minutes of climate-controlled football in Atlanta. The test will get much more acute in the next round at altitude against Mexico on Sunday night, a turnaround that provides too little time to truly acclimatize.
But in the modern mega event the World Cup has become, Kane’s comfort in the spotlight is irreplaceable and unlike nearly every other Great English hope before him.
Afterward, he even implored his team to follow his example.
“I think it’s easy when you’re one of the bigger nations to just let these moments slip by,” Kane said postmatch. “And no matter who you are, you have to enjoy going through in knockout football. So enjoy this moment.”
Curiously, the game’s inventors haven’t produced more attackers of Kane’s international prolificness.
Kane’s fourth and fifth goals of this tournament put him even with Brazilian legend Pele at 13 for his career. But they also put him three clear of Gary Lineker, England’s second all-time leading World Cup scorer, and eight above Geoff Hurst, the next-highest Three Lions striker and 1966 World Cup winner.
Germany have 11 players who have scored at least six World Cup goals. Brazil have 10. Argentina have five. Even famously defensive (and currently absent) Italy have four.
And for all those who want to wax poetic about tactics and systems, the game is often as simple as having players who can find the net when it matters. So what makes Lineker and Kane different? It might be their willingness to embrace environments outside the pinnacle of the English game.
Both Lineker and Kane played club football at teams outside England’s established perennial winners during their domestic careers. (Lineker eventually had a brief spell at Everton, who are nine-time league champions but also the second-most decorated club in Liverpool.) When they finally moved to blue bloods, they did so beyond their national borders, Lineker at FC Barcelona and Kane to Bayern Munich.
That willingness to embrace outsider environments has to make the atmosphere of a World Cup — in which the surroundings of the stadiums, the officials and the opponents are unfamiliar — easier to deal with. Because it’s a skill you’ve acquired. The problem is that leaving England means leaving arguably the best club league in the world. But this particular squad appears to get the advantage, at least relative to Three Lions squads of the past. Kane is one of four players who ply their club trade abroad, which, believe it or not, is an England World Cup record.
Lineker and Kane also possessed unusual openness to a media corps whose rift with its national team can be particularly fractious.
Lineker went on to be a long-time TV presenter after his playing career. The equally affable Kane could have a lengthy future there also, on the other side of the mixed zone velvet ropes.
The Three Lions won’t win the World Cup at a press conference. But embracing the spotlight sure as hell doesn’t hurt. Kane’s leadership makes this a group more resolved to at least try that, even if it doesn’t come naturally to all.
If they go on to end the world’s most famous 60-year title drought, don’t discount the role that will play.
Sports
Stampeders carry rare momentum into visit from Argonauts
Jun 7, 2025; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Calgary Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr (3) shakes hands with Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Stavros Katsantonis (30) after the game at McMahon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Now that they finally have a win this season, the Calgary Stampeders can get back to .500 on Thursday night when they host the Toronto Argonauts.
But their defense might need to perform better than it did on Saturday in a 41-33 victory over the B.C. Lions in Kelowna, B.C. Calgary avenged last November’s playoff loss to B.C. by controlling both sides of the ball and building a 38-17 fourth-quarter lead before a couple of late Lions touchdowns made the game closer.
The uneven ending didn’t thrill defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade.
“We needed one,” he said. “Sometimes, the hardest one to get (is) the first one. We did enough to win and the most important thing is getting in the win column. But I think we finished the game poorly.”
The Stamps (1-2) played well until the endgame. Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns, while the defense sacked Nathan Rourke four times. Tyreik McAllister returned a punt 90 yards in the fourth quarter for a game-sealing touchdown.
They might need four quarters of consistency instead of three against Toronto (2-1), which logged a statement win Friday night with a 40-34 decision in Saskatchewan. Chad Kelly threw for 321 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, including one on the ground.
In three games, Kelly has thrown for 1,190 yards and a league-high nine touchdowns. Calgary coach Dave Dickenson hopes his defense can force some mistakes from Kelly, who tossed four interceptions two weeks ago in Ottawa.
“I’d like to see us get as many turnovers as possible,” Dickenson said.
The Argos’ defense gave up a lot of yardage, but did make the necessary plays to keep the Roughriders in check. One was the interception by Tarvarus McFadden in the end zone that turned a potential Saskatchewan touchdown into a field goal drive — a 10-point swing that might have made the difference.
“We can get a lot better,” McFadden said of a defense yielding 31.7 ppg. “We’ve got a lot more to do.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Harry Kane lifts England over DR Congo with two late goals
July 1, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; England’s Harry Kane celebrates scoring their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Harry Kane scored two goals after the 70th minute to pull England out of a funk and lift the Three Lions to a 2-1 defeat of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta.
England played from behind most of the match as Brian Cipenga put DR Congo ahead with a seventh-minute goal before Kane found the equalizer on a headed goal in the 75th minute.
Eleven minutes later, Kane scored his 13th career World Cup goal — three more than any other England player — taking a pass at the top of the penalty box and unleashing a magnificent running shot into the upper-right corner of the net.
The game-winner sets England up for a round of 16 clash vs. Mexico at Mexico City on Sunday.
Kane’s second goal of the match and fifth of this year’s tournament, off an assist from Anthony Gordon, moved him into a tie for third with Norway’s Erling Haaland on the Golden Boot leaderboard, one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe.
The Wednesday match was the first time since the 1966 World Cup championship that England won a World Cup finals match after conceding first, improving their record in such situations to 2-17-5.
DR Congo took its early lead when Cipenga found the net for his first international goal. Chancel Mbemba uncorked a lofted pass that bounced in the box past a pair of players. Cipenga was wide open and ripped a shot past Jordan Pickford inside the near post.
England responded with a rush of chances in pursuit of the tying goal. DR Congo keeper Lionel Mpasi (five saves) stood on his head to keep the Leopards ahead at the break.
He made a pair of reflex saves on close-range Jude Bellingham headers and another in the closing seconds of the half on a proximity rocket of a shot from Kane.
He also got help in the 35th minute from defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who cleared Marcus Rashford’s shot off the line attacking an open net.
DR Congo nearly made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute when Yoane Wissa hit the post off a pinpoint cross. Immediately after, Kane was denied a penalty appeal after he appeared to be brought down by Mpasi in the box.
England managed just one shot on goal in the second half until Kane’s first goal.
DR Congo’s final chance, a close-range free kick from Wissa in the sixth minute of stoppage time, floated just over the bar.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rays slugger Junior Caminero becomes youngest to homer in 6 straight
Jul 1, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Tampa Bay slugger Junior Caminero became the youngest player in major league history since at least 1900 to hit a home run in six straight games, after delivering a two-run shot in the first inning at Kansas City on Wednesday night.
Caminero, 22 years, 361 days old, went deep on the first pitch he faced, a sinker, from Royals right-hander Seth Lugo just three batters into the contest. A first-time All-Star in 2025, third baseman Caminero has hit nine of his 24 home runs in the last eight games.
Ken Griffey Jr. was 23 years and 246 days old when he homered in his sixth consecutive game on July 25, 1993. Griffey went on to homer in eight straight games, tying the MLB mark belonging to Dale Long (1956) and Don Mattingly (1987).
Willie Mays and Nolan Arenado homered in six straight when they were each age 24. Carlos Pena had set the Tampa Bay franchise record of six in a row from June 6-12, 2010, and now shares it with Caminero.
Lugo also gave up the first two homers in Caminero’s streak at Tropicana Field last Thursday when the native of the Dominican Republic posted his first career three-homer game.
Caminero, who turns 24 on Sunday, entered the day with 75 career home runs in 286 regular-season games, a .269 batting average, .518 slugging percentage and .330 on-base percentage.
–Field Level Media
Stampeders carry rare momentum into visit from Argonauts
Harry Kane lifts England over DR Congo with two late goals
