Harry Kane responds after Donald Trump singled him out after England win
An unlikely friendship has formed between football ace Harry Kane and US President Donald Trump.
The commander-in-chief, 80, seems to have really taken a shine to the England captain after watching his prowess on the pitch during the 2026 World Cup.
But it turns out that this unconventional transatlantic connection has actually been more than a year in the making, according to Kane.
The star striker, 32, revealed that he played a round of golf to remember 18 months ago with Trump, after receiving an invitation from the president to play in Palm Beach, Florida.
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The town is home to the Trump International Golf Club, a private 27-hole course, which was the first putting green in his portfolio. Trump owns or operates another 15 golf clubs in various locations across the world.
It is not clear if this is where Kane had his showdown with the former host of The Apprentice, however, he did share some insight into the 'unique experience' he had that day.
The Bayern Munich player spoke to reporters about golfing with the head of state ahead of England's quarter-final clash against Norway, which takes place in Miami on Saturday (11 July).
Trump will likely be cheering the Three Lions on later this evening, given that he revealed he has a serious soft spot for Kane earlier this week.
After watching England's 3-2 win against Mexico, he took to his social media platform Truth Social to share a post saying: "Harry Kane of England is a GREAT player!!!"
Trump then shared some further context on where his admiration for Kane has come from while speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday (7 July).
'When the president invites you somewhere...'
"I watched last night, what a game that was," the president said. "Mexico, England, I mean two countries, I don’t know the players. Although, I think Kane is a great player.
"See, I played golf with him and I like him a lot, he’s a good golfer. But he’s really great."
Kane has since clarified how they forged a bond on the fairways, as he told the media on Friday (10 July) that he give Trump a good run for his money on the golf course.
Describing his opponent's golfing acumen as 'pretty good', the forward said: "I played alright, to be honest. We played about 18 months ago, he invited me to play when I was down in Palm Beach.
"So, when the president invites you somewhere...
"It was a pretty surreal experience, just to meet him and obviously play golf with him," Kane continued.
"His golf is pretty good, to be honest with you. I hope I can play golf as good as him when I'm his age, that's for sure.
"[It was] a unique experience. But I was just grateful that he invited me to play."
Let's hope the words of encouragement offered by Trump give Kane the gumption to bag another win tonight.
Saturday's fixture is shaping up to be quite the spectacle - however, there are growing concerns that kick off might be significantly delayed as a storm is brewing.
England's high-stakes clash against Norway is scheduled to begin at 10pm UK time, but the weather that is forecast in Miami threatens to disrupt this.
The Three Lions also have to battle the heat and humidity in the Florida city, and one expert has warned that players could pump out more than eight pints of sweat during the game.
British singer Ellie Goulding will be entertaining fans at the Miami Stadium during half-time tonight, too.
And at the World Cup final next Sunday (19 July), stars such as Justin Bieber, Madonna, BTS and Shakira will perform during the interlude which takes place 45 minutes in.
Lets hope they know the words to 'Three Lions', eh?
World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick off times
Saturday, 11 July
Quarter-final - Match 99: Norway vs England, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 12 July
Quarter-final - Match 100: Argentina vs Switzerland, kick-off 2am - Kansas City, US
Tuesday, 14 July
Semi-final - Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Wednesday, 15 July
Semi-final - Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners, kick-off 8pm - Atlanta, US
Saturday, 18 July
Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 19 July
Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, US
Topics: Donald Trump, Harry Kane, World Cup, Golf, Football
Olivia Burke