Harry Kane’s selfless leadership shines as England thrash Croatia, contrasting sharply with Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego-driven display for Portugal.
IT WAS the matchday that most Malaysians would have religiously stayed up to watch earlier today.
For the predictable masses, the motivation was split down two avenues. One half tuned in to watch the clockwork machinery of one of the greatest ever in Cristiano Ronaldo, while the other half settled in for the painfully repetitive tale of “It’s coming home.”
To be completely honest, judging by the clinical nature of the latter’s execution, it certainly looks as though the 2026 World Cup trophy is, most likely, booked on a one-way flight back to London.
Before I delve into the tactical autopsy of both matches, I must confess that I have enjoyed the immense fortune of playing alongside, and managing, genuinely good captains. From my time watching the structural resilience of Starpark FC under Aaron Gideon, to the tactical discipline of Zoolads FC under Kevin Leung, even at Black Army Rovers FC, we have a proper, stabilising captain in Omar Farouk.
The reason I deliberately set the mood in this manner is quite simple. If you ask me, football matches, despite being salvaged by a moment of individual magic or a tactical masterclass by managers, are fundamentally anchored by the armband. The role of a captain will either make or break the psychological spine of a team.
It is worth noting, with a healthy dose of irony, that the local captains I have just shared a pitch with, be it Aaron, Kevin, or Omar, are all older than Cristiano Ronaldo is right now.
Yet, the selfish nature that CR7 displayed in Portugal’s chaotic outing is absolutely nothing compared to how these three local stalwarts play the game. I am aware that it is quite unfair to judge casual, social league weekend warriors against certified, global, world-class players.
However, there is a fundamental truth to be found here, which is that different players at entirely different levels of the game can still play at their absolute best for the collective good.
Based on yesterday’s display, Ronaldo completely failed to showcase that maturity, choosing instead to sabotage his team’s offensive rhythms to feed his own vanity. Fortunately, over in Dallas, Harry Kane did the total, unadulterated opposite.
The world watched as Kane put on a masterclass, showcasing precisely why he remains one of the finest players on the planet, if not of his generation. Importantly, he proved why he is the definitive blueprint of what a captain should be.
In England’s thrilling 4-2 victory over a resilient Croatia, Kane was the undisputed anchor. When his initial penalty was stopped by keeper Dominik Livakovic, he didn’t throw a childish tantrum, yet he calmly stepped up for the VAR-mandated retake and buried it. When Croatia hit back, it was Kane who rose highest to power home a magnificent header from a Declan Rice corner, equalling Gary Lineker’s historic record of 10 World Cup goals.
But his brilliance wasn’t merely found in the goals, but even in his complete lack of ego. He occupied defenders, dropped deep to link the play, and actively facilitated the spaces that allowed Jude Bellingham to storm through and hit England’s third. He led a relentless assault in Texas that pummelled the Croatian backline, eventually allowing Marcus Rashford to step off the bench and seal the match with a coolly composed fourth. The last time I saw an England captain completely dictate an international match with that level of heavy-lifting leadership was during the peak era of Wayne Rooney.
At Black Army Rovers FC, if my captain Omar started chasing personal glory at the expense of our team, he’d find himself sitting on the bench by halftime. On the global stage, however, it seems certain teams are too terrified to tell their king ‘it’s time to be subbed out’.
Sports pages and portals around the globe were all aligned on how disastrous Ronaldo was in his forward position during that flat 1-1 draw with DR Congo. Some even pointed out the uncomfortable truth that at 41, the captain is actively holding a stacked Portuguese squad back.
Consider the direct contrast in this, during the match against Japan, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman subbed out the one person who was giving the opposition the most problems in Crysencio Summerville.
Yet, in the game against Congo, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes while managing a lacklustre 25 touches, failing to register a single shot for the first 67 minutes of the match.
By simply occupying space, Ronaldo failed completely as a number nine. He stood static in the final third, waiting for a perfect delivery that never arrived. When a rare chance did present itself late on from a Francisco Conceição cut back, Ronaldo scuffed it wide, having selfishly stolen the ball away from a perfectly placed Bruno Fernandes directly behind him.
With tactical reviewers pointing out that Roberto Martínez’s side looks entirely fluid until they are forced to funnel everything through an immovable, ageing ego, his match rating of 3 out of 10 seemed pretty generous.
In my observation, England looks like the champions because they are led by a servant. Meanwhile, Portugal, despite boasting a midfield of Vitinha and Joao Neves, is slowly becoming a tragedy because the team is being held hostage by a brand.
