England captain Harry Kane believes the Three Lions can win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Prior to the 2022 World Cup, England captain Harry Kane exclusively comments to Sky Sports: "I look back at England 10, 15, and it almost [seems] like we were scared to say we wanted to win it. We're coming to this tournament to win it because we feel we can."England are "not frightened" to claim they can win the 2022 World Cup, according to Harry Kane, who also believes their dismal performance up to now has decreased expectations going into Qatar.
The team led by Gareth Southgate is among the betting favorites to win the competition after making it all the way to the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and placing second in the European Championships the year before. But Kane believes that England can win their first significant trophy since winning the World Cup in 1966 in the Middle East.
"When I think back to England 10, 15, it almost seems as like we were afraid to proclaim we wanted to win it. Being unafraid to say that is, in my opinion, one of the significant changes we've made with Gareth over the last four to five years.
"It would be incorrect to believe otherwise, but what would be the point of participating in the World Cup if you didn't think you could bring home the trophy?
"To accomplish it, we will need to work incredibly hard, be somewhat lucky, and have a lot of things go our way.
"But I think it's important not to be afraid to say that that's what we're going there to do." But Southgate's team enters the World Cup after a losing Nations League season that resulted in relegation.
After three draws and three losses, England faces Iran to open the tournament on November 21 in search of their first victory in seven games, but Kane thinks their dismal run has helped to temper expectations going into Qatar.
Definitely, the first game is crucial, Kane stated. "Of course, it hasn't been the best time for England in a very long time. Since Gareth took over, we haven't experienced a spell like this one.
"But in a way, that can be a really helpful thing before a big match because it prevents you from getting carried away or even letting the press or the media get carried away.
"I believe that if we had won every game coming up to this competition, the expectation would have been that we would win, and that added pressure.
"The last two major tournaments we've had, in our opinion, have been the most important ones to measure us by.
"We are really confident that we can travel to Qatar and have a fantastic campaign."