Harry Kane’s the ‘knock-out king’, England have the ‘perfect blend’ and are ‘brimming with talent’: Worldwide media tell Three Lions to ‘dream big’ at World Cup – but the French say ‘God save MBAPPE’!
- England saw off Senegal in a confident 3-0 win in the last 16 of the World Cup
- Harry Kane has been praised for breaking his tournament duck at last on Sunday
- Young stars Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have also received rave reviews
- The one weakness that has been pointed to is Harry Maguire at centre-back
- Follow Sportsmail’s coverage of the World Cup for all the latest news from Qatar
- French media remain confident with cries of ‘God Save Our King’ Kylian Mbappe
- Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results
After casting aside Senegal 3-0 on Sunday evening, England became the fourth side to enter the quarterfinals of the Qatar World Cup, and media outlets from across the world have been quick to pile on the praise.
Gareth Southgate’s side eased past the African champions to book a date with France in the final eight on Saturday night, courtesy of first-half strikes from Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane, with Bukayo Saka making it three in the second period.
And naturally English fans will have woken up to rave reviews for the Three Lions back home, as the nation gets behind their team out in Qatar but – perhaps surprisingly – media outlets from around the world were equally impressed.
From Argentina and Brazil to Germany and Italy – Kane and Co have come in for high praise, with many publications hailing Southgate’s leadership and squad-building that has put together a ‘perfect union of youth and experience’.
The Tottenham striker himself was the recipient of countless plaudits, with the world both celebrating him breaking his World Cup duck, whilst simultaneously spelling out why it is an ominous omen for France in the quarters.
But it was not quite a clean sweep for England. Infamous French football outlet L’Equipe remain confident that ‘King’ Kylian Mbappe will be indefatigable in attack, as well as pinpointing Harry Maguire as a weak point at the heart of defence.
Here Sportsmail takes a look at how the world’s media reacted to England’s 3-0 victory over Senegal that teed up Saturday’s mammoth clash with France.
England’s 3-0 win over Senegal has been praised by media outlets across the globe
‘KO-King Kane strikes again!’, wrote Bild. The German outlet was quick to single out the Three Lions skipper after he grabbed his long-awaited first goal of the tournament on the cusp of half-time against Senegal.
Many media organisations had cast aspersions on Harry Kane’s place in the side after a barren run in front of goal of three games, which does not sound like much but the captain did finish the last tournament as top scorer.
But he was not the only recipient of strong reviews, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham described as ‘outstanding’, and Jordan Pickford’s ‘super save’ from Boulaye Dia’s close range effort in the first half was also celebrated.
And with Raheem Sterling’s unfortunate absence and joint-top scorer Marcus Rashford on the bench, Bild were equally impressed with the strength in depth at Southgate’s fingers, claiming: ‘But the effective “Three Lions” march into the World Cup quarterfinals – even without some top stars!’
Bild labelled Jude Bellingham’s performance on Sunday evening as ‘outstanding’
Italy, La Gazetta dello Sport
For Italian publication La Gazetta dello Sport, what was notable was the fact that England now have eight different goalscorers at the tournament following efforts from Henderson and Kane on Sunday.
And Southgate’s defensive pairing of Maguire and John Stones were also highlighted for their handling of Senegal striker Dia, although there was an implication that the Manchester City defender needed ‘his body and his hand’ to stop the Salernitana forward.
But some of the enthusiasm was kept in check by skepticism cast in the direction of Senegal, who were ‘overwhelmed’ and combined poor defence with an absent clinical touch in the England penalty box.
Aliou Cisse’s ‘useless’ triple substitution at half-time was also savaged, but the Italian outlet maintain that it made little impact on the game, with England remaining equally ‘impregnable’.
In fact the only compliment for the Senegalese performance was directed to their energetic and frenetic supporters, writing that ‘the incessant roll’ of the drums ‘enlivened’ the game.
Italian outlet La Gazetta dello Sport led off the fact that Senegal made things easy for England
Harry Kane finally broke his Qatar World Cup duck on Sunday on the verge of half-time
Argentina, Clarin
Argentinian publication Clarin has already begun to bill the quarterfinal clash as the final that England could have had in Russia four years ago, before extra time heartbreak saw Southgate’s side lose to Croatia in the semifinals.
Kane’s return to the scoresheet was once again heralded, but for the Argentinian outlet it is a decisive moment in the campaign that allows England fans to at last ‘dream big’.
However, his contributions to the team do not begin and end with goals, according to Clarin. The Spurs forward’s ability to link the play and give assists, as well as make space for on-rushing midfielders to break lines, are what makes him ‘essential’ to this England team.
The clash with Les Bleus on Saturday is now being billed as ‘a kind of early final’, and there is a sense of confidence in the prospects of the Three Lions, provided that Kane can keep hold of his shooting boots.
Harry Kane was the main subject in Argentinan outlet Clarin’s assessment of the match
Harry Kane’s return to the scoresheet is a sign that English fans can ‘dream big’, claim Clarin
Holland, De Telegraaf
Dutch organisation De Telegraaf have lead on the growth of England as a force in international football, claiming that the Three Lions now have an improved sense of worth due to their recent showings in major tournaments.
England’s talented young stars have drawn widespread acclaim
And in Holland there is the opinion that the litany of attacking talent in the current squad foreshadows future success, with De Telegraaf arguing that ‘a major prize can now be taken’.
Bellingham and Phil Foden both excelled on Sunday, and the Dutch outlet were among the many suitors for the talented young pair, with Arsenal’s Saka also drawing glittering reviews.
De Telegraaf also hinted that Bellingham’s future lies back in ‘his home country’ and foretold a massive transfer saga coming in the summer with him at the heart of it.
However the one blemish for the Dutch media was Maguire’s moment of sloppiness that allowed Dia in behind in the first half, although that was more than made up for by Pickford’s stunning stop.
Brazil, O Globo
For Brazilian outlet O Globo, Sunday’s victory was an example of England’s perfect ‘union of youth and experience’ in Qatar.
O Globo admitted that they had predicted a tie before kick-off and that they had expected a sterner showing from Senegal in the face of the ‘best attack in the World Cup.’
But for the Brazilians, once the ball got rolling in the first half, England put on a show of complete dominance thanks to the enviable blend of ages at Southgate’s disposal.
O Globo write that this harmony is nowhere more evident than in England’s first goal, with Bellingham drawing on his energy and dynamism to take the ball up the pitch before cutting back for the more experienced Henderson.
England boast an enviable ‘blend of youth and experience’, according to Brazilian outlet O Globo
Spain, Marca
Marca described England’s victory as ‘comfortable’ as they eased past the African champions to make the final eight and line up that mouth-watering meeting with France.
Comparisons were made with the performances of Holland, Argentina and France in the first three matches from the round of 16, in what was dubbed a ‘professional’ performance.
But it was not a straight forward walk in the park, in the eyes of Spanish outlet Marca, who claim that there were several early warning signs with Senegal having joy against a ‘static backline’.
Yet it was just as Senegal looked to be turning the game in their favour that the Three Lions managed to gain some control on proceedings, with the game thereafter running away from Cisse’s team.
Bellingham and Foden once again drew the eye, with the Spanish media contending that the matter was sealed by half-time which allowed Southgate to rotate his stars ahead of Saturday’s crunch match.
The performances of Phil Foden (L) on Sunday drew praise from Spanish media outlet Marca
France, L’Equipe
It was from L’Equipe that England received their least glowing of appraisals – unsurprisingly given their meeting on Saturday evening – with Maguire’s unpunished first half error drawing plenty of attention.
L’Equipe’s headline reads: ‘God Save Our King’ ahead of France’s meeting with England
The French outlet pointed to the Manchester United defender as the weak point in England’s starting XI, and claimed that his ‘slowness could prove detrimental’ to Southgate’s hopes.
Pace is something that the French side has in droves, with Mbappe joined in attack by Barcelona speedster Ousmane Dembele, but it is the former’s impending battle with Kyle Walker that will prove decisive in their eyes.
Walker’s very recent return from a groin injury has been mentioned, and the French publication are of strong opinion that the outcome of that particularly battle will surely be the side to make the last four.
And the publication spared no time in having their say on who would come out on top, running the headline ‘God Save Notre King,’ accompanied by a photo of a jubilant Mbappe, who scored twice as France saw off Poland 3-1 on Sunday.
L’Equipe has highlighted Harry Maguire as a potential weakness for England in the World Cup
Kyle Walker was singled out as the player responsible for stopping Kylian Mbappe
L’Equipe also pointed to a potential switch in formation from 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3, which they argue would both protect Maguire’s pace from being exposed, as well as align with Southgate’s record of opting for a three-man defence against ‘the best selections’.
But it was not all bad news for England fans, with Bellingham once again being singled out for his abilities as a ‘dominant box-to-box midfielder’ who could rival the skills of ‘Adrien Rabiot or Antoine Griezmann’ in the middle of the park.
Despite Bellingham’s now-proven ability, one paper in France has gone one step further and sent out a bold claim ahead of Saturday’s huge meeting in Qatar, with the headline: ‘Ready To Eat A Lion’.
They praised Jude Bellingham after his stellar performances against Senegal and Iran
One French paper ran the headline ‘Ready To Eat Lion’ ahead of France’s meeting with England
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