'Thirteen matches left!' – Thomas Tuchel backs Harry Kane to join Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi in 100-goal club

England manager Tuchel believes Kane is on the verge of footballing immortality, predicting that the striker will reach the 100-goal milestone for his country in short order. Kane currently sits on 87 goals following his latest strike in a 2-0 Nations League victory over the Czech Republic, moving him into eighth place on the all-time international scoring charts. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei have ever surpassed the 100-goal mark in the men's game.

The German tactician is confident that his talismanic forward has the efficiency to bridge the remaining 13-goal gap quickly. Discussing the pursuit of the century, Tuchel noted: 'He is closing in. He scored again. 13 goals left.' When pushed on whether he truly expects the 33-year-old to reach the historic figure, the former Bayern Munich boss was emphatic in his response, stating: 'Thirteen matches. You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all. He is the highest level of goalscorer.'

While Tuchel is focused on maximizing Kane's remaining years at the top level, he offered a sobering assessment of what life after the Bayern Munich star might look like for the Three Lions. The captain remains in blistering form for his country, scoring in back-to-back fixtures against Spain in a 3-2 defeat and the recent victory over the Czech Republic. That momentum follows a stellar summer where Kane bagged six goals at the World Cup to guide England to a third-place finish.

Tuchel elaborated on the difficulty of replacing the veteran, saying: '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.'

Despite the mounting excitement surrounding his pursuit of the 100-goal club, Kane is attempting to keep his feet on the ground. The striker, who surpassed Wayne Rooney's previous record of 53 goals three years ago, is set to earn his 124th cap against Croatia this weekend. He remains one of the most prolific players in world football, having netted 73 times for Bayern Munich last season, and is considered a serious contender for the upcoming Ballon d'Or ceremony.

Reflecting on the possibility of reaching triple figures, Kane admitted: 'I don't like to think too far ahead, but of course, it's getting closer. You know, 100 goals for the national team would be something special without a doubt. It still feels like yesterday I just broke the record and I was away in Italy getting that one. The seasons come and they go quickly, so I just enjoy being out there with the boys on the pitch, wearing the Three Lions shirt and that won't change.'

Reflecting on his personal form and the joy of finding the net once again, Kane highlighted the fundamental responsibilities of his role. 'The striker's job is to score goals first and foremost, and I know that, and I love doing that. It's still the best feeling there is and it was nice to get it just before coming off, I know that, otherwise I'd have been itching to still be out there. But from my point of view, some games I'll touch the ball a lot and be the difference in maybe build-up or passing or switching play,' the England captain stated.

Beyond his individual contribution, the Bayern Munich forward shifted his attention to the collective display, acknowledging that England still have areas to refine despite securing the result. 'The final product has to be perfect and I don't think it was quite there. I still think we can improve in that sense, with the final cross or the final through ball. But in the end, a win's a win. I've been around long enough in the team where sometimes you just have to win the game and move on and tonight was one of those,' Kane concluded.