England captain Harry Kane has confirmed he played golf with former U.S. President Donald Trump approximately 18 months ago in Florida. The event occurred when Kane was invited to play by Trump while visiting Palm Beach.
"When the President invites you somewhere, it was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him and to play golf with him," Kane said. He added that Trump's golf game was "pretty good" and expressed hope of playing as well as Trump at a similar age. Kane described the outing as a "unique experience" and expressed gratitude for the invitation.
Kane's confirmation follows recent public praise from Trump, who posted on social media about the England star after his performance in a World Cup match against Mexico. Trump called Kane a "GREAT player!!!" on Truth Social after Kane scored a penalty kick and provided an assist in England's 3-2 victory.
Trump later mentioned the golf outing to reporters, stating, "I think Kane is a great player. I played golf with him and I like him a lot. He's a good golfer too. He's really great."
Kane is currently focused on leading England in the World Cup quarterfinals, with the team set to face Norway. England aims to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018 and secure their first World Cup final appearance since winning the tournament in 1966.
Kane also addressed comparisons between himself and Norway's star striker Erling Haaland, noting their different playing styles despite both being forwards. "Erling's been incredible. Physically he's a machine, he's a beast, he's finishing at the highest level and obviously his goalscoring record speaks for itself," Kane said. He characterized himself as a player who likes to be more involved in possession and playmaking, in addition to being a traditional No. 9. "I don't think it's one to compare ourselves. I respect him a lot as a player, as a fellow professional."