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England captain Harry Kane and several members of the national team traded football boots for baseball bats on Thursday evening as they enjoyed a relaxing night at Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals, following their impressive FIFA World Cup 2026 opening victory over Croatia.
The Royals welcomed the England squad to the stadium, with head coach Thomas Tuchel taking part in the pre-game festivities by throwing the ceremonial first pitch before the MLB contest. Kane later shared glimpses of the outing on social media, expressing his appreciation for the experience. "Great recovery day with the boys at the baseball. Would love to give batting a go one day! Thanks for having us @Royals," the England skipper posted on X. England's official account also thanked the hosts and wrote on X, "Thanks for having us along, @Royals!" The visit came just a day after England launched their World Cup campaign in style with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in their Group L opener at Dallas Stadium. Kane was the star of the show, scoring twice as England secured one of the tournament's most entertaining wins so far. The Bayern Munich striker converted a retaken penalty in the 12th minute before adding a second goal with a header shortly before halftime. The brace helped Kane reach several significant milestones. He became only the second England player to score in three different FIFA World Cup tournaments, following David Beckham, who found the net in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 editions. Kane also moved level with Gary Lineker as England's joint-highest World Cup goalscorer with 10 goals and set a new record for the most non-penalty shootout penalties scored in World Cup history, taking his tally to five. Despite Croatia twice drawing level through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa in an entertaining first half, England pulled clear after the break. Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford struck decisive goals to seal a convincing victory for Thomas Tuchel's side. England will now turn their focus to their next Group L fixture against Ghana at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on Tuesday (Local Time), aiming to build on their strong start and move a step closer to the knockout rounds. (ANI)
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