Harry Kane: Cristiano Ronaldo is the benchmark

England captain hopes to emulate Portuguese by playing well into his late thirties

England captain Harry Kane trains with teammates ahead of their match against Republic of Ireland. Reuters

England captain Harry Kane hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as the benchmark for players in their thirties looking to extend their careers.

The 39-year-old Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal on Thursday as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in their Group A Uefa Nations League opener – a number unlikely to be matched anytime soon.

Kane, 31, endured a difficult Euro 2024 campaign, despite scoring three goals as England reached the final, losing to Spain 1-0.

His lethargic performances had critics questioning on whether Kane was struggling under the physical demands of being talisman for both club and country, but the Bayern Munich man says he is keen to take a leaf out of Ronaldo's book.

“Cristiano is the benchmark, not only being one of the best footballers ever to play, but also the benchmark of how long you can play for at a higher level," Kane said ahead of England's Group 2 Nations League match against Republic of Ireland.

“I think sometimes in football and maybe in sport in general, there’s a perception that when you get to your thirties it’s time to start slowing down, playing fewer games and not playing to the high level.

“But like I’ve touched on before, the Ronaldos, the [Lionel] Messis, the [Karim] Benzemas, [Robert] Lewandowskis, all these guys who have had incredible careers in their thirties and almost upped their level as they got into mid-thirties and really reaching their peak.

“Cristiano is just showing that every week, every time he plays, every time he scores, so from my point of view, that’s the aim; I want to play as long as possible for England, and I want to play as long as possible in football and it’s great to see other athletes doing it in front of me. It shows that it’s possible, and it’s just about how you feel yourself.

“I feel in a really good place, both physically and mentally and whatever noise there is around – I’m sure there will be noise around me, like there was around Cristiano, and still is around Cristiano – but as long as you keep performing and keep doing what you know you can, that’s all you can do.”

Ronaldo scores 900th goal

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring against Croatia in their Uefa Nations League Group A match at the Stadio da Luz in Lisbon. It was the 900th goal of his career. EPA

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring Portugal's second goal in a 2-1 win over Croatia. EPA

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo prepares to take a free kick. AFP

Croatia's defender Josip Sutalo fights for the ball with Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo. AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo gestures during the match against Croatia. AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal falls to his knees after scoring against Croatia. EPA

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action. Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal wheels away in celebration after scoring his team's second goal. AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring to make it 2-0 against Croatia. AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates. EPA

Kane, who is in line to win his 99th cap against Ireland on Saturday evening, struggled to make the impact he had done in previous tournaments in Germany this summer, while others too were unable to replicate their best form, leading to questions about burn-out.

While acknowledging the physical demands of ever-longer seasons – likely to be exacerbated by the 2025 Club World Cup – the former Tottenham striker admits the increasing pressure is something players simply have to get used to.

He said: “There was a lot of talk during the Euros about me and my condition, but like I said then, I felt in good shape.

“Did the games go the way I wanted? No. Not really. But there were a lot of us who felt below par in terms of individual performances and we did extremely well to get to where we got to, which was down to our team spirit and cohesion we created over the years.

“But sometimes when it does not go the way you wanted it to go, there is always something to look for and someone to blame. But I feel good, I have come back in a good place and I have started the season well.”