2026 FIFA World Cup: Only Messi is ahead — Harry Kane receives high praise from England teammate

Anthony Gordon heaped praise on Harry Kane following England's 2-1 World Cup victory over the DR Congo, highlighting that the captain’s current campaign is second only to Lionel Messi's legendary peak.

The 25-year-old winger spoke glowingly of his international teammate after orchestrating England's late comeback in the Round of 32 clash.

Gordon was introduced as a second-half substitute in Atlanta and provided the assists for both of Kane's decisive goals, effectively rescuing Thomas Tuchel's side from a shock elimination.

Speaking to reporters about the experience of playing alongside the Bayern Munich striker, Gordon highlighted Kane's relentless work ethic on the training pitch.

"Yeah, it's amazing to be around him every day because when you're around someone at the elite level... he's at the very, very top of football," Gordon said, per Sky Sports.

"He's having a season that's only ever been beaten by Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer of all time. So that speaks to the level he's playing at."

Gordon also noted that the Bayer Munich star’s historic goalscoring output is the direct result of an intense and highly focused daily routine.

"When you're around someone like that, you want to pick up as many habits and watch everything he does just to see why he's at that level," he continued.

"How hard he works, every finishing drill, he does it with passion, he does it with seriousness, he never ever misses a shot. So it's amazing to be around him, and he's definitely an inspiration to all of us."

Gordon’s immense praise highlights the staggering numbers Kane has produced for both Bayern Munich and England during the 2025/26 campaign.

The 32-year-old striker has registered 72 combined goals for club and country this season, placing him behind only Messi in football history for a single-season output.

Messi famously set the benchmark during the 2011/12 season with Barcelona, where the Argentine scored an unprecedented 73 club goals across all competitions and added nine more for his national team for a total of 82 goals.

While Kane's current tally trails that legendary milestone, his crucial brace against DR Congo moved him past Pelé on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 13 goals.

England will rely on Kane's continued goalscoring form as they prepare to face co-hosts Mexico in their upcoming Round of 16 tie.