Thierry Henry has lavished praise on Harry Kane after the England skipper delivered a stunning late winner against DR Congo at the World Cup. The Bayern Munich forward struck twice in a hard-fought comeback victory, prompting Henry to marvel at his remarkable strength and technique, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic insisted that England’s World Cup ambitions depend entirely on Kane’s brilliance.

A breathtaking winner against DR Congo

Kane rescued England from what could have been a major World Cup upset against DR Congo. The captain first equalised with a header in the 75th minute, before firing home a spectacular late strike to secure a 2-1 comeback win for his side.

Speaking to Fox Sports, Henry was left astounded by the power behind Kane’s decisive goal. He said: “He’s almost in the air, in an awkward position when he hits it. Do you know how difficult that is? To generate that kind of power at the end of a match. Declan Rice was exhausted! If Rice is dead tired at the end, it shows how physically demanding the game was. To still hit the ball like that—unbelievable. The entire country must have been with him at that moment. He’s falling while striking it! Do you know how tough that is to produce power then? If I tried that now, I’d break my back! That’s a very difficult skill. Wow! Sir Harry!”

England’s heavy dependence on their captain

Ibrahimovic echoed Henry’s admiration, pointing out just how much England rely on Kane compared to other footballing nations. The striker has now netted five goals at the World Cup, drawing level with Erling Haaland and sitting one behind both Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, who have six each.

While countries like Argentina and France boast multiple match-winners, Ibrahimovic feels Thomas Tuchel’s England side are built almost entirely around one man.

He said: “Harry Kane, he did three things today — two goals and one big run. That says everything about how vital he is for this team. We talk about Messi for Argentina, Mbappe for France — but they also have other superstars. We talk about Haaland for Norway. When it comes to England, it’s all about Harry Kane. Sir Harry Kane is England. The way he played today, he must continue like this if England want a chance.”

Concerns over physical fatigue and rising pressure

Despite his praise, Ibrahimovic also voiced concern over England’s physical state, particularly noting Declan Rice. The veteran striker said the team appeared drained and questioned the immense expectations placed upon them.

Ibrahimovic added: “Today I saw England struggling physically. They didn’t run like before. Especially Declan Rice — his main quality is running, but it looked like he was finding it hard. Not only him, the others too. It’s not just about how you win, it’s about winning. Especially for this England side, there is huge pressure to win. Why? We don’t know, but okay. They got the result.”

Looking ahead for England

England now need to recover quickly and address their physical fatigue before their next crucial World Cup fixture. They are set to take on Mexico in the round of 16. Manager Thomas Tuchel will depend heavily on his medical team to ensure key players are fully fit ahead of the knockout clash. Regardless of the team’s overall form, one thing remains certain — when England need a hero, Harry Kane is always ready to step up.