Wayne Rooney has urged England manager Thomas Tuchel to carefully manage Harry Kane’s workload as the team enters the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to Daily Post Nigeria on June 28, 2026, England secured top spot in Group L with a 2-0 victory over Panama. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring before Kane headed home England’s second in the 67th minute. The goal took Kane’s World Cup tally to 11, moving him past Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer.
Speaking on BBC One, Rooney said Kane should have been substituted earlier after England established a 2-0 lead, warning that fatigue has affected the striker in previous tournaments.
“Harry Kane has shown signs of tiredness in earlier tournaments towards the conclusion. Even a 20-minute break can significantly reduce fatigue,” Rooney said.
He also noted that the race for the Golden Boot includes Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, urging Tuchel to rest his captain whenever possible ahead of England’s Round of 32 clash with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
