This 2026 World Cup has given people a lot to talk about and has brought to prominence figures who did not always have the spotlight on them. Erling Haaland is perhaps the prime example. But there are others who, with stories of perseverance and courage, have earned the affection of fans and the respect of many others.
Harry Kane is an English footballer. He is currently considered one of the best strikers of his generation. And for good reason: Harry is captain of the England national team and his country’s all-time top scorer.
But he was not always successful.
At eight years old, people called him “chubby” and just like that, he was cut from the youth team he was trying out for. “Kane was a little chubby, not very athletic… yes, we made a mistake”, said William Brady, former head of Arsenal’s academy.
Little Harry would not give up.
In a school assignment, at 5 years old, he had written: “I can crawl, I can cry, I can swim, I want to play football”. This was a promise to himself, and he was determined to keep it.
His whole family was behind him, wanting to see him succeed. To pursue his dream, he said that if they did not want him as a player, he wanted to try as a goalkeeper. The administration accepted this offer, but the response came quickly: “This boy will never be a goalkeeper”.
It seemed that his dream was falling apart. His childhood idols were slipping away. And Harry would not be one of them, one of the greats. That was a possibility. However, he fought and fought like few youngsters ever have had to, and he made himself noticed.
He earned his place as a striker and focused on achieving what he liked most: scoring goals. “He loved football, he loved playing, and he loved scoring goals”, said Clive Allen, one of his coaches.
Time ultimately crowned his career as a professional footballer. On February 14, 2026, Harry Kane reached 500 official goals for club and country, becoming the first English footballer to achieve this feat.
An absolute legend.