Kane dismisses talk of Tuchel-Bellingham rift before Argentina semi-final

England captain Harry Kane has rejected suggestions of a rift between manager Thomas Tuchel and midfielder Jude Bellingham, attributing the speculation to media exaggeration. Following England's World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway, Tuchel expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance, and Bellingham appeared unimpressed by the criticism.

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When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn't really know what had been said, what do you want Jude to say? We had just been through a battle. It is easy to try and create this division. It seems like an English thing to do at these major tournaments. But it is the complete opposite.

Kane argued that questions asked immediately after a tough match led to Bellingham's curt response. "When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn't really know what had been said, what do you want Jude to say?" Kane told BBC Sport. He added, "We had just been through a battle. It is easy to try and create this division. It seems like an English thing to do at these major tournaments. But it is the complete opposite."

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The group is where we are because of our complete togetherness, not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.

Kane stressed the team's unity as the reason for their success. "The group is where we are because of our complete togetherness, not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are," he said. He also defended manager Tuchel's direct approach, noting that players appreciate his honesty. "He wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that," Kane stated. "When it just comes natural you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach."

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Yeah, well, whatever. Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, Odegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sorloth. That's not an easy team to play against.

Bellingham, who scored two goals in the match, had previously commented on Tuchel's criticism, suggesting the manager might not understand the difficulty of playing against a team like Norway. Kane, however, believes the team understands Tuchel's methods and trusts his leadership, calling him "one of the best managers in the world for a reason."

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He wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When it just comes natural you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach.