Zlatan Ibrahimovic praises Harry Kane's leadership against Croatia
Zlatan Ibrahimovic highlights Harry Kane's defensive sacrifice during England's 4-2 win over Croatia at the World Cup.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Dingleberries2001
England opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas, led by a commanding performance from Harry Kane. The striker found the net twice, scoring from the penalty spot and adding a header from a corner kick.
Beyond his offensive contribution, Kane caught the eye of Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his work rate in the final minutes. The former Swedish star praised Kane for making a crucial defensive block inside his own penalty area to protect England's lead.
Harry Kane scored two goals, but what I liked most was that he blocked a shot inside his own area in the final minutes. When you see a player of that level defend like that, you see the sacrifice. He wants to win. He is prepared to do things that a star normally wouldn't. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
With his brace, Kane reached 10 World Cup goals, equalling Gary Lineker as England's top scorer in the tournament's history. The striker also made his 115th appearance for the national team, moving level with David Beckham in the all-time rankings.
England now turns its attention to their next group stage fixture against Ghana on June 23.