Is England’s long-term successor to Harry Kane already in place or still to emerge?

Harry Kane scored twice as England beat Czechia 3-0 at Wembley on Tuesday, taking his international tally to 91 goals in 125 appearances and becoming his nation's joint‑highest appearance-maker; the 33‑year‑old Bayern Munich striker’s form and longevity have intensified debate over who could replace him in future tournaments.

Kane won a league and cup double with Bayern last season and scored 61 goals in 51 games for the German club in 2025-26, placing him among the favourites for the Ballon d’Or; with the next European Championship set for the summer of 2028 when he will be 35, manager Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged the need to explore alternatives, saying: "You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all. We look for different options and solutions."

Tuchel has pointed to Jude Bellingham as a potential internal option, telling reporters ahead of England's 7-0 win over Croatia: "I like him as a nine. He is a natural goalscorer and he has the hunger to be on the scoreboard. He wants to be there and have the decisive action, so it makes not a huge difference if he plays as a nine or a 10." Since the start of the 2026 World Cup Bellingham has scored 10 times in 12 matches for England, having netted six times in the previous 48 games, and he frequently operated as a false nine in his first season at Real Madrid with Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo providing wide penetration.

BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter Ian Dennis stated: "The person who is going to replace Kane has already emerged – and that's Jude Bellingham. We have seen it at times, when they play that false nine, Bellingham can go into that advanced role. He will also eclipse Kane in terms of appearances. This is a player who will continue to go from strength to strength." Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson offered a counter view on 5 Live: "He is not a nine, Bellingham plays off others. I do think if England are going to play this system – and remember Kane has a long time left – I don't see Bellingham as the out and out number nine."

Natural, out‑and‑out centre‑forwards are in shorter supply for England. Dominic Calvert‑Lewin has scored 17 goals in 40 Premier League appearances since his move to Leeds United last summer but is 29 and was judged to have underperformed by 2.13 in terms of xG in the Premier League last season. Beyond Calvert‑Lewin the only other English strikers to score in the Premier League so far this season are Nottingham Forest's Liam Delap and Ipswich Town's Chuba Akpom, each with one goal, while across the 2026-27 season English left‑backs have scored six goals compared with five by English centre‑forwards.

Players formerly considered by Tuchel, Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins, are both playing in the Saudi Pro League and were left out of the most recent England squad; both are described in the source as "already into their thirties." Tuchel has also shown a willingness to use systems without a traditional number nine — Kai Havertz scored 10 goals in the 33 league matches in which Tuchel deployed him as a centre‑forward — and Spain's use of converted wingers as strikers is cited as an example of alternative approaches. Anthony Gordon, who scored three times during the international break and was used as a striker by Newcastle United late last season, has recorded 10 goals in 12 Champions League appearances overall.

There are emerging forward options in England's pipeline. Aston Villa's 17‑year‑old Brian Madjo scored five goals in pre‑season, including one in the UEFA Super Cup against European champions Paris Saint‑Germain, and impressed against defenders Marquinhos and Willian Pacho before being sidelined for seven weeks; he has since appeared in a friendly against Sevilla and is close to a first‑team return. Middlesbrough's 21‑year‑old Will Lankshear, a Tottenham academy graduate, has eight goals in 11 appearances; Manchester City's Divin Mubama, on loan at Southampton, has five goals in 10 European under‑21 Championship qualifiers; Bristol City's Dom Ballard and Millwall's Josh Coburn are also mentioned as young strikers with significant potential.

Kane has spoken about longevity in the game, referencing Lionel Messi after England's semi‑final loss to Argentina in the summer: "As you see on the other end with Leo there, he's still performing at the highest level," he said. "So I never want to put a limit on these things." Tuchel reiterated that a future solution need not be a replica of Kane, adding: "There will be someone else, but it will not be Harry or a copy of Harry. We will find a solution when it comes to it but maybe not me. It might be another 10 years." When the European Championship arrives in the summer of 2028 Kane will be 35, leaving selection and tactical choices on England's forward line to the next phase of managerial decision‑making.