Is Harry Kane more motivated by team glory or individual awards?

England's captain Harry Kane is concentrating on team success at the 2026 World Cup rather than competing with Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe for individual accolades, according to former England defender Danny Mills. Kane, who has already scored in the tournament, values collective achievement above personal trophies.

Kane's goal-scoring record includes multiple Golden Boots. He earned three Golden Boots during his Premier League career with Tottenham and added three more in the Bundesliga, where he has also won two league titles. For England, he has scored 81 goals in 115 appearances, including two in the recent match against Croatia, where he converted a penalty and scored a header.

Before the start of the World Cup campaign, Kane observed from the sidelines as Messi, Mbappe, and Erling Haaland scored seven goals combined for Argentina, France, and Norway. When asked if this motivated Kane, Mills told GOAL on behalf of betTOM that Kane is primarily driven by scoring goals and helping England win, rather than individual honors.

Mills explained, "I don't think he's motivated by that. I think he just wants to score as many goals as possible. He wants England to win. You could say to Harry Kane, would you rather have a Golden Boot and get knocked out in the quarter-final or would you rather be Olivier Giroud and win the World Cup and not score? I think Harry Kane would be in that second category."

He added that some world-class strikers might prioritize personal goals more, but Kane is not among them. Mills noted Kane’s comfort with his own style and motivation to score and win games for England.

Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is structured to support Kane’s tendency to drop deep during matches. Other forwards such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Marcus Rashford provide pace and runs beyond Kane, enabling him to operate in deeper positions effectively.

Mills commented on Kane’s playing style, stating, "Harry Kane has never been blessed with pace, so it's not like he's lost a yard of pace. He's always been incredibly intelligent in the way that he plays. He often plays as a number 9, as a 10, as a 9.5 if you like, dropping into those positions."

He continued, "To do that, you do need pace in the wing areas. You have to stretch the game in some way, shape or form. So, you need those players that are going to run in behind. Bellingham will do that, Saka, [Noni] Madueke will do that - Rashford and [Anthony] Gordon on the other side will do that and stretch the game, which allows Kane to drop into those positions."

Mills described this as standard football strategy but acknowledged that executing it can be challenging when opponents try to control the tempo. He also expressed concern about England’s reliance on Kane, noting that if Kane were unavailable, the team might struggle to find a replacement focal point.

England has faced criticism for depending heavily on Kane’s scoring ability, although players like Bellingham and Rashford contributed goals against Croatia. For England to end their 60-year wait for a World Cup title, Kane will need to lead effectively and contend for another Golden Boot. However, Messi, Mbappe, and other stars will not affect his mindset or approach on the field.