Harry Kane’s selfless leadership shone as England beat Croatia, a stark contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego-driven performance for Portugal.
it was The match day that most Malaysians would have woken up to watch this morning.
For the anticipated public, the inspiration was divided into two routes. One half was ready to see the clockwork machinery of one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, while the other half was ready for the painfully repetitive story of “it’s coming home.”
To be completely honest, given the clinical nature of the subsequent execution, it certainly looks like the 2026 World Cup trophy has, most likely, been booked on a one-way flight to London.
Before I delve into the tactics of both the matches, I have to admit that I have had the immense fortune of playing with and managing really good captains. From seeing the structural flexibility of Starpark FC under the leadership of Aaron Gedion, to the tactical discipline of Zoolads FC under the leadership of Kevin Leung, even at Black Army Rovers FC, we have a proper, steady captain in Omar Farooq.
The reason I intentionally set the mood this way is quite simple. If you ask me, football matches, despite individual moments of magic or saved by tactical masterclasses by managers, are basically decided by armbands. The role of a captain will either make or break the psychological backbone of the team.
With a healthy dose of irony, it is worth noting that the local captains with whom I have just shared the pitch, be it Aaron, Kevin or Omar, are all older than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Still, the selfish nature that CR7 displayed in Portugal’s chaotic trip is nothing compared to the way these three local legends play the game. I know it’s quite unfair to evaluate casual, social league weekend warriors against certified, global, world-class players.
However, a fundamental truth can be found here, which is that individual players at completely different levels of play can still do their best for the collective good.
Based on yesterday’s performance, Ronaldo completely failed to demonstrate that maturity, choosing to break up his team’s attacking rhythm in order to boost his arrogance. Luckily, in Dallas, Harry Kane did just the opposite.
The world watched as Kane put on a masterclass, showing exactly why he is one of the finest players on the planet, if not his generation. Importantly, he proved why he is the definitive blueprint for what a captain should be.
Kane was the undisputed anchor in England’s thrilling 4-2 win over formidable Croatia. He showed no childish anger when his initial penalty was blocked by keeper Dominik Livakovic, yet he calmly stepped up and buried it for the VAR-mandated retake. When Croatia counter-attacked, it was Kane who rose top with a superb header from a Declan Rice corner to equal Gary Lineker’s historic record of 10 World Cup goals.
But his genius was found not just in his goals, but also in his complete lack of ego. He occupied defenders, dropped deep to link up play, and actively facilitated spaces that allowed Jude Bellingham to attack and hit England’s third. He led a sustained Texas attack that dismantled the Croatian backline, eventually allowing Marcus Rashford to come off the bench and seal the match with a composed fourth. The last time I saw an England captain completely dictate an international match with that level of heavy-handed 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 would find himself sitting on the bench by half-time. However, on the global stage, it seems some teams are too afraid to tell their king that ‘now is the time to beat them.’
Sports pages and portals around the world were in unison over how devastating Ronaldo was in his forward position during the 1-1 draw with DR Congo. Some also pointed out the inconvenient truth that at the age of 41, the captain is actively holding the Portuguese team back.
Consider the direct contradiction to this, during the match against Japan, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman took out the man who was giving the opposition the most trouble in Crescencio Somerville.
Nevertheless, in the game against Congo, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes, while managing to take 25 touches, failing to register a single shot in the first 67 minutes of the match.
By simply occupying space, Ronaldo completely failed as a number nine. He stood still in the final third, waiting for a perfect delivery which never came. When Francisco Conceição’s cut back presented a rare chance late on, Ronaldo selfishly stole the ball from Bruno Fernandes, who was completely behind him.
His match rating of 3 out of 10 seemed quite generous, with tactical critics pointing out that Roberto Martínez’s side looked completely fluid unless they were forced to funnel everything through an immobile, aging ego.
In my observation, England look like champions because they are led by a servant. Meanwhile, Portugal, despite boasting a midfield of Vitinha and Joao Neves, is slowly becoming a tragedy as the team is being held hostage by a brand.
