June 07, 2026
Harry Kane's header late in the first half lifted England to a 1-0 win over New Zealand Saturday afternoon in the first of the contender's first two World Cup tune-up friendlies at Tampa, Fla.
In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Kane flicked a Djed Spence cross into the right corner of the net past All Whites goalkeeper Max Crocombe. His 79th career goal for England added to his all-time national lead, while also serving as his 67th goal of the season for club (Bayern Munich) and country.
With the sun beating down on a 91-degree day in Florida, England dominated the match far more than the scoreline indicated. That wasn't a surprise considering this was a matchup of the fourth-ranked team in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings against the lowest-ranked team in this year's World Cup (85th).
Even while subbing off their entire starting 11 at halftime -- the first time the Three Lions used 22 players in a match since 2004 -- England outshot New Zealand 23-3, held a 4-1 edge in shots on goal and possessed the ball for 71.7 percent of the match.
