As England prepares for its World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday, captain Harry Kane confirmed he played a round of golf with Donald Trump, calling the experience “I played all right, to be honest,” and commending the US president’s golfing skills.
Trump made headlines on July 6 when he mentioned having played golf with Kane, praising the England forward’s talent both as a player and a golfer.
In response to inquiries from reporters about Trump’s remarks, Kane clarified that their golf outing occurred around 18 months ago in Palm Beach, Florida.
“Yeah, we played about 18 months ago. He invited me to play when I was down in Palm Beach, so yeah, when the president invites you somewhere … it was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him and obviously play golf with him.” Kane noted. “His golf’s pretty good, to be honest with you,”
Kane’s club side, Bayern Munich, was on a winter break from late December 2024 to early January 2025, indicating that the round likely took place before Trump’s second term began.
The England striker, who previously stated he plays to a 3 handicap, praised the 80-year-old Trump’s golf game. “I hope I can play golf as good as him when I’m his age, that’s for sure. “So yeah, unique experience but yeah, I was just grateful he invited me down to play.” Kane remarked. “Harry Kane of England is a GREAT player!!!”
He added, “I think Kane is a great player,”
Following England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16 on July 5, Trump took to social media to compliment Kane, declaring, “I played golf with him and I like him a lot. He’s a good golfer. He’s really great.” The next day, he disclosed that they had played golf together.
“Bleak, bleak. You don’t just pal around with someone like that,” Trump stated. “Harry Kane just begging for the Trump Curse to come a-knocking,”
Kane’s acknowledgment of golfing with Trump has drawn criticism on social media from detractors of the president.
Writer Musa Okwonga expressed his disapproval, stating, “Guess Harry Kane has no issues with being a dumb sports washing tool for authoritarianism,”
Political scientist Jules Boykoff, author of the book *Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the Fifa Greed Machine*, humorously suggested that Kane might be tempting fate by associating with Trump, recalling the president’s attendance at the only NBA Finals game the New York Knicks lost before they won the championship in June for the first time since 1973.
“Screw this guy. He certainly is no Mbappe. Hope Norway wins.” Boykoff quipped.
Other US soccer fans pointed out that rival strikers, including Kylian Mbappé, who has openly criticized the French far-right, and Norway’s Erling Haaland would likely have declined such an invitation from Trump.
“Guess Harry Kane has no issues with being a dumb sports washing tool for authoritarianism,” Murshed Zaheed, a former aide to the late Democratic senator Harry Reid, commented. “Screw this guy. He certainly is no Mbappe. Hope Norway wins.”
- Harry Kane
- World Cup
- Donald Trump
- US politics
- England
- Golf
- World Cup 2026
