England men's national soccer team captain Harry Kane has encountered criticism after revealing he played golf with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Kane disclosed the golf outing during a press conference ahead of England's World Cup semifinal match.
Kane told The Daily Telegraph that he played approximately 18 months ago when Trump invited him to play while Kane was in Palm Beach. "It was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him and obviously play golf with him," Kane stated, describing the invitation as one he could not refuse from a president.
Kane described Trump's golf game as "pretty good" and expressed a hope to play golf as well as Trump at his age. He called the experience "unique" and expressed gratitude for the invitation.
Trump himself praised Kane on Truth Social, referring to him as a "GREAT player!!!" before mentioning their golf game. Trump, who is 80 years old, has faced accusations of cheating at golf from various sources.
Kane's remarks quickly generated criticism on social media platforms, with some users deeming the confession "beyond embarrassing" and "disappointing."
This is not the first time a prominent soccer star has faced scrutiny over an interaction with Trump. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi have also drawn criticism in recent months following White House visits and photo opportunities with the former president.