England captain Harry Kane has described singing Oasis hit 'Wonderwall' with fans in Dallas as “one of my favourite moments in an England shirt” after a stunning 4-2 opening victory over Croatia.
The players did a lap of honour to thank supporters in the 70,000-capacity stadium, applauding the crowd and joining in the anthem. “We know how much it means to them and they know how much it means to us,” said Kane, 32. “Just that moment singing 'Wonderwall' in the stadium, everyone knew the words, that was really special.”
“Harry Kane calls singing 'Wonderwall' with fans his favourite World Cup moment after England's 4-2 win over Croatia.”
The joy came after Kane received a voice note from David Beckham, his childhood idol, congratulating him on equalling Beckham’s 115-cap milestone – making Kane the third most-capped England player behind Peter Shilton and Wayne Rooney. “David sent me a nice voice note before and then after the game,” he told the FA podcast Lions' Den. “He said he knew how hard it was to reach that level and be that consistent.” Kane also matched Gary Lineker’s 10 World Cup goals.
Yet the euphoria follows research showing many fans feel the tournament has become too serious. A new study found 70% of England supporters believe international tournaments have become too serious, while three in ten feel the beautiful game is now too commercial. Many miss fan culture, personalities and memorable chants.
To tackle the mood, BuzzBallz has launched ‘Show Us Your (Buzz)Ballz’ – a campaign backed by former Tottenham and West Ham manager Harry Redknapp – celebrating fans who bring humour, spontaneity and optimism. The brand is giving away 21,866 drinks to adult supporters, the exact number of days since England last won the World Cup.
“Tournament football should be about mates, memories and having a laugh,” said Redknapp. “Everyone gets so wrapped up in the pressure and expectation now, but some of the best football moments come when fans are just enjoying themselves.”
The research also revealed that negativity disappears when England start winning: nearly half (45%) have admitted declaring ‘It’s Coming Home’ during a major tournament, while 35% started believing England could win after just one victory.
Kane echoed that sentiment. “We love that stuff,” he said of the fan celebrations. “All the players … we are not disconnected from the fans. I hope we can have some more special moments.”