Harry Kane has backed Thomas Tuchel to make changes against Panama, saying England need to keep the squad fresh with another game still to come. The captain said he would not be surprised if the coach made changes, and England's draw with Ghana in Boston left the group picture open. England are top of Group L on 4 points, but they have not clinched first place yet.
England's position in Group L
Kane's point is practical rather than grand. England have 4 points from 2 matches and a +2 goal difference, which gives Tuchel room to manage the next game without turning it into a do-or-die selection call. The fixture list also keeps the pressure on the squad, with Panama away on 2026-06-27 21:00:00+00.
There is a bit of edge to the wider route as well. A second-placed finish is projected to bring a Round of 32 tie against Portugal, before a possible last-16 meeting with Spain. That is the sort of bracket detail managers do think about, even if Kane's message was simpler: keep the team fresh and accept that the group is not settled yet.
Kane's Panama record
The other part of this is more personal. Kane's previous Panama hat-trick came in a 6-1 World Cup win in Russia eight years ago, and he was happy to revisit that memory. "A couple of pens and a lucky goal. Yeah, it wasn't my most beautiful hat-trick to be honest. I'll take that again on Saturday, for sure," he said.
That is not just nostalgia. Kane has already scored 3 times against Panama, so the storyline for the next meeting is obvious enough: England can rotate, and their captain still fancies the same opponent. If Tuchel does make changes, it will be because the group allows it and because Kane has openly backed the idea.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →