England football team members, including their skipper Harry Kane, were seen warming up for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup with a game of cricket.
England will begin their quest for their first FIFA World Cup title since 1966 with a Group L match against European rivals Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.
The official "X" handle of the England football team posted a photo of Harry Kane batting during a warm-up session.
Harry Kane, Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham play cricket
"Camp cricket in full swing," England captioned the post. In another post that has gone viral on "X", the Bayern Munich striker could be seen bowling leg spin, whereas Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers could be seen batting, seemingly playing a cover drive.
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham was also seen bowling during the warm-up session. Interestingly Bellingham does have a connection with cricket—he owns a minority stake in The Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix.
Harry Kane, too, has a special connection with cricket. He is known to have shared a special bond with veteran India cricketer Virat Kohli, and the duo even met in person ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup that was held in England.
The former Tottenham star even congratulated Kohli after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won a second consecutive IPL title last week after being Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final. "What a player and what a knock @virat.kohli! Congrats @royalchallengers.bengaluru on making it back-to-back IPL titles," Harry Kane wrote on social media.
During an interview with FIFA, Harry Kane opened up on the dream of leading England to World Cup glory. This will be his third World Cup, having been part of the England sides that competed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“The bottom line is this is what you dreamed of as a kid, and I think it’s easy sometimes to get here [to the World Cup] and then maybe fear the occasion or fear failing, but that’s part of life.
“This is what we live for. That‘s why we’re on the pitch, that’s why we train every day, to have this opportunity and to express ourselves in that moment.
“It’s obviously easier said than done, but that’s where maybe experienced players like me can help some of the younger players to just feel free. Ultimately, it’s a short career, and you don’t get to play in many major tournaments, so why waste it having fear? Just go out there and express yourself,” the 32-year-old said.
After the match against Croatia, England will take on Ghana on 23 June in Boston, before taking on Panama on 27 June in New Jersey.
