‘Big ask’ - Cristiano Ronaldo used as Harry Kane 2030 World Cup warning as ex-England star Chris Waddle makes international future prediction

The expectation is, having skippered England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, a prominent role will be played en route to and at a home soil European Championship in the summer of 2028.

By then, Kane should have made more history. He is already the Three Lions’ greatest ever goalscorer, with 85 efforts to his name, and his just four caps short of matching Peter Shilton’s all-time record of 125 appearances.

Thomas Tuchel will continue to look for the Bayern Munich hot-shot to provide attacking inspiration - with there few alternative options to be found in the No.9 department - but Kane, who recently turned 33, cannot go on forever.

GOAT superstars Ronaldo and Lionel Messi did grace the last World Cup at the ages of 41 and 39 respectively, but they have always been exceptions to the rule. Can Kane follow in their illustrious footsteps and enjoy similar longevity?

When that question was put to Waddle, with another four-year cycle being factored into the equation, the ex-England star - speaking in association with BetBrain - told GOAL: “Fitness is a great thing to have. Some players develop, get better as they get older. Some find it easier. Not easier, but easy.

“We'll see how his legs are in two years' time, at the Euros even. People will be questioning that. The thing with Harry's advantage is he's a fit lad, we know that. He doesn't rely on pace. He's got a great football brain.

“Sometimes you see players in tournaments and you think, ‘His legs are going there’. I'm looking at Ronaldo as an example. I watched Portugal play in the World Cup and his legs were gone in my eyes for that level of football. Lionel Messi still had bits of brilliance until the rest of his team-mates decided to try and kick everybody out of the country.

“So I think there's a time and a place where you've actually got to think, ‘Yeah, he can still play, and he can still play like Messi does in Miami, a good level for him’. You know, Ronaldo in Saudi can still handle it. And Harry, eventually he'll come to a time where you think the Bundesliga is too quick. Where do you go from there?

“The next World Cup, it's a big ask for him, I think, to play in that tournament. I think some of these players can think, ‘Yeah, I'm still playing football, but that level's out of me now, and I've enjoyed it’. I think some of these players try and play too long and it doesn't look great on them. But I'm sure Harry will know when the time's right to say, ‘No, I can't play for England anymore’.”

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