Outside the changing rooms at Daugava Stadium, the usual post-match chaos played out.
Kitmen wheeled suitcases to the England bus, a Latvia player intercepted Kane for a selfie, and journalists waited to ask about the joy of qualifying for another World Cup.
Yet, amid the bustle, Kane’s mind drifted back thousands of miles to Qatar, to that fateful night at Al Bayt Stadium in December 2022.
The memory of the 84th-minute penalty that flew over the bar in England’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France still lingers, a haunting image of Kylian Mbappé laughing and Kane burying his face in his jersey.
But instead of breaking him, that moment became a catalyst.
Turning Pain into Motivation
Since that miss, Kane has turned adversity into achievement.
He smashed Wayne Rooney’s England goalscoring record, netting his 75th and 76th goals in the 5-0 win over Latvia.
At Bayern Munich, he’s scored 21 times in just 13 matches this season, already adding a Bundesliga title to his trophy cabinet.
“The miss at Al Bayt changed me,” Kane admitted. “It sharpened my focus, made me refine my technique, and fueled my hunger.
I want to make sure something like that never happens again. I want to create more World Cup memories to replace that moment.”
Learning from Mistakes
Kane is refreshingly candid about the pressure of that moment. “It was probably the worst I’ve felt in my career.
I’ve lost finals before, but having that responsibility and not executing something I’ve done many times before… that was hard to process,” he said.
Yet the England captain turned the setback into a learning experience.
He tweaked his penalty technique and went on a 31-penalty streak without missing. “I always try to learn from moments like that,” Kane explained.
“It’s made me a better, more complete player, not just from the penalty spot but overall.”
Eyes on the Next World Cup
At 32, and soon to turn 33 a week after the next World Cup final, Kane is preparing for his third World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
He reminded his teammates after the Latvia win not to take such milestones for granted.
Winning the Golden Boot in 2018 is a distant memory; his focus is on bigger goals.
“I’m in the best form of my life right now,” Kane said. “The numbers speak for themselves, but I’m still learning.
I want to keep improving, both at Bayern and with England.”
Chasing Records and Glory
Kane’s ambition is relentless. “Can I reach 100 international goals? Absolutely. I’m on 76 now, so 24 more to go.
We have a few games before the World Cup, and I want to get closer,” he said.
He also understands the challenge of lifting football’s biggest prize. “Winning a World Cup is going to be incredibly hard.
We’ll face the biggest teams on the biggest stage. But these moments, this feeling we have together, are building blocks.
They’ll help us arrive in the summer fearless and ready for anything.”
Building Confidence for the Big Stage
Kane has matured into a captain who balances personal ambition with team leadership.
The lessons from past heartbreak fuel his drive, while his record-breaking form gives England confidence.
With his eyes firmly set on next summer, Kane is ready to turn regret into triumph—and to lead England on the biggest stage in football.