Harry Kane says Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remain the benchmark for the world’s leading players, despite both being unable to inspire their countries to World Cup glory in Russia.
Messi’s Argentina and Ronaldo’s Portugal both crashed out of the tournament in the round of 16, with Argentina losing 4-3 to France and the Portuguese suffering a 2-1 defeat against Uruguay. The failure of Messi and Ronaldo to haul their teams to success has coincided with a new wave of international talent, including Kane and France’s Kylian Mbappe, starring on the big stage in Russia.
But England captain Kane, who leads the race for the World Cup Golden Boot with six goals, insists that Messi and Ronaldo are still the best in the business. “You can never write off Ronaldo or Messi,” Kane said. “They’ve probably not had the tournaments they set out to have, but they’re still two of the best players in the world.
“For me and the other young players coming through, they’re still inspirational — they set a bar that we have to go and try and reach. “I’m very pleased with how it’s gone so far, but I want to keep pushing and getting better, and achieve what they’ve achieved in their careers.”