Rooney defends Kane

"The result left the England players heartbroken. But I'm proud of the way the team played at this World Cup, and the players should too. Congratulations Harry Kane for equaling my goalscoring record. He will quickly set a new record and I can't think of anyone better to do it. Hold your head high, Harry," Rooney shared on Twitter.

England twice led France in the quarterfinals of the World Cup on the evening of December 10. They had two golden chances on the penalty spot to equalize. Kane succeeds on the first shot. But in the second, 84th minute, the England striker shot over the bar, kicking the home team's hopes of going forward.

The 1-1 equalizer helped Kane equalize the record for most goalscorers for England - 53 goals, set by Rooney in 2015. But the striker playing for Tottenham is not happy with this achievement. After the game, Kane collapsed in frustration. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford asked the camera to avoid panning the lens towards the captain of the "Three Lions".

In an interview with ITV after the game, midfielder Jordan Henderson also defended Kane. He said: "I don't know how many penalties Harry has successfully kicked for England. He contributed many goals to get us here. This defeat makes Harry stronger. He is a money. Our leader, our captain. England wouldn't be here without Harry."

After the defeat, the England players will return to focus with the club and play in two weeks. Kane is in high form with 12 goals in 15 games for Tottenham in the 2022-2023 Premier League.