Harry Kane to Continue as England's Captain, Confirms Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel, the manager of England, has ruled out any speculation about Harry Kane no longer being the country's captain under his reign. The Bayern Munich striker, who has been a corner stone of England's recent successes, has retained Tuchel's trust.

Tuchel, appointed as Gareth Southgate's successor in October, spoke to the media on Friday ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw. England has been placed alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra in Group K, with the matches set to begin in March.

There is at the moment no need to think about change," the German Tactician told reporters. "Harry was always a top captain for England. So why do you even think about it at the moment?""

You cross the river when you cross the river. First, come January, we will be in touch with everyone and get the feeling for St George's Park and also the players. And until March, there's still a lot of football to be played, and then we will try to find the best group for the games that await."

Tuchel hinted, however, that the holistic approach might suggest all players would have a clean slate once Kane fully takes over, implying his captaincy is secured. He stated, though, that decision-making would need to be independent from the Southgate era.

One player Tuchel is keen to reach out to is Arsenal defender Ben White, who last played for England during the 2022 FIFA World Cup but left the squad midway for personal reasons. White’s future with the national team has been clouded by rumors of a fallout with Southgate’s staff, which were later denied.

Tuchel appeared open to reintegrating the 26-year-old into the fold. “I will reach out to him," Tuchel said. “It should be a clean start and a clear narrative. From January, I’ll be watching games and will try to speak to everyone, including Ben."

With the qualifiers merely 15 months before the 2026 World Cup in North America, Tuchel's England project starts in earnest. With the fixtures' condoned schedule starting in March, the new manager has barely a few months to know about his squad.

Tuchel plans to start his tenure by watching the Premier League matches in January, making him familiar with the team. "It starts from January. I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players, and they should just know, 'Okay, the boss is there from January',", Tuchel added.

"Then I will, of course, try to speak to them but also be respectful to the schedule that they have, because the schedule is busy in January, especially in the Premier League."

The boss admitted that the domestic schedule was hectic, especially in January, and promised to respect the demands on the players while building relationships.

Tuchel spoke enthusiastically about the beginning of his journey in England, along with the World Cup qualifiers. He believes that this structure gives a clear focus to the squad and that all energies are channeled into building a cohesive team toward the long-term goal of global success.

"I like the framework, the narrative. I like it to start when the World Cup qualification starts, to have it as you kick off and go from there," Tuchel explained. "It gives clarity in the selection process and in how we speak to each other and where we want to go."

England's draw is relatively straightforward for qualification. Serbia, the group's toughest opponent, will be the challenge, but matches against Albania, Latvia, and Andorra will give England an opportunity to fine-tune their systems. The five-team group also offers fewer fixtures, allowing Tuchel to focus on immediate and long-term improvements.