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Why ‘floppy ankles’ make Harry Kane the world’s best striker, but also get him injured

Published

2 years ago

October 23, 2024

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Why ‘floppy ankles’ make Harry Kane the world’s best striker, but also get him injured

Achilles had his heel, Harry Kane has his ankles — even the greatest have physiological limits.

Except those flaws are often what make them great.

Greek mythology tells it that Achilles, a Greek war hero, was held by the back of his foot when dipped in the River Styx, separating the lands of the living and the dead, as a child. This turned him invincible, barring the spot which carries his name, and (how’s your luck?) where he was killed after being struck there by an arrow.

Since 2016-17, ankle injuries have bedevilled Kane’s career on seven different occasions. He tore ligaments there in 2018-19, and combined has missed a full league season’s worth of games through those issues.

And yet, the same physiology that predisposes him to these ankle problems explains his world-class ball-striking and outstanding goalscoring records: the England team’s all-time top scorer, one of only three players with more than 200 Premier League goals, the best debut season (in terms of goalscoring) in Bundesliga history.

The Athletic spoke to football biomechanist Archit Navandar to understand what he calls Kane’s “floppy ankles”, and why they make him so good.

First, a lesson in physiological and biomechanics.

The human ankle is a complex thing, the point where the shin bone (tibia), calf bone (fibula) and talus (heel) meet. Scientists call it a ‘hinged synovial joint’ because movement primarily occurs in one plane (direction). In this case, up and down. The ankle can flex the foot towards the body (dorsiflexion) and extend away from it (plantarflexion) but with limited rotation. Synovial refers to the fluid in the joint, which aids movement.

“We don’t have the same ability that we have with our hands that we have with our feet,” says Navandar. “We don’t have that same dexterity. It’s very easy to rotate our wrists. An ankle, to have the same level of dexterity, you need to train. Rotation is very, very difficult, because the stiffer your ankle is, the more control you have in your kick.”

Watchers of Premier League football on UK broadcasts will know analyst Ally McCoist’s fondness of saying a player has “picked the wrong (golf) club” when they mishit a pass. The golfing analogy serves to describe how different passes (and shots) need specific amounts of power/spin and different trajectories. To change the ‘golf club’, players “change the orientation (of the foot),” says Navandar. “A small modification can completely change my surface area of contact.”

Navandar says Kane does it better and more often than most, which makes him unpredictable.

“He gets a lot of power in his kicks but with seemingly no backlift,” says Navandar. “He doesn’t bend his knees as much, it’s not a prominent knee flexion before the kick. There are kicks where there is hip extension, but it’s not prominent. What you want to do when you kick is to increase the surface area of contact to help with maximum transfer of energy from the foot to the ball, because there is going to be some energy loss.”

Here’s a comparison of Kane’s (lower) backlift to that of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Navandar explains that kicking is split into “four phases”. It starts with backswing, as the leg draws away, then it cocks (the knee bends while the leg starts to move forward again). The leg accelerates towards the ball, strikes it, then follows through.

“The initial flexion before you release, it’s a whip-like motion,” when looked at from side on, says Navandar. “What Kane does, in the acceleration part, is not (be) rigid. This changes a little bit, he is able to control the movements. It happens subconsciously, automatically.”

To simplify: as Kane is swinging his leg, he changes the orientation of his ankle to hit the ball differently. Navandar likens it to a tennis player altering their serve at the final moment.

Here is an example of a side-footed Kane goal against Manchester City when he was at Tottenham Hotspur. He shapes initially to strike the ball with the laces, then opens out his foot to finish with the instep.

It is not a clean finish, with Kane striking the top of the ball so it travels down to hit the turf on its way to the net. Even so, City’s Ederson could only get fingertips to it. “These movements are very difficult to see with the naked eye,” says Navandar.

Navandar explains that most players keep the ankle locked once the leg has been pulled back to shoot (cocking). This is because stiffer ankles reduce energy loss, which adds power. Typically, as players shoot, the ankle stays with the toes pointing to the floor (plantarflexion) to maximise the surface area hitting the ball. Kane, though, will move the foot by rotating the ankle, changing his finish.

To compensate for power loss, Navandar highlights Kane’s arm on his non-kicking side, often raised as he strikes (see pictures above): “The power that he gets is mainly from extending his arm out. It’s like a spring action using the entire body.” It is a similar motion to how sprinters throw the arm of their take-off leg backwards as they fly out the blocks.

All this is a biomechanical analysis of praise that has surrounded Kane for years: he has one of the widest finishing libraries in the game, is never fussy about how he scores his goals, and can score them with either boot. “I’m comfortable with both (feet), I don’t feel like I’m losing anything,” he told UK broadcaster BT Sport in 2018.

He ranks fourth for goals in Europe’s top-four leagues since the start of the 2019-20 season. Only Haaland (164), Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski (both 135) — Kane should face the latter tonight as Bayern visit Barcelona in the Champions League — have more than his 132.

GO DEEPER

Analysing Europe’s top four leagues: How does football in England, Italy, Spain and Germany compare?

“He has a fantastic footballing brain,” says Navandar, “but also that he’s able to adapt his game and his technique to have this sort of flexibility and mobility in the lower leg.”

Kane’s skill set is a reflection of his academy days. A late bloomer, never physically outstanding (in speed or size), with four loan spells at lower-division clubs before he broke into the Tottenham first team at age 20, he learnt to compensate.

⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽
All 36 of Harry Kane’s Bundesliga goals this season 🎥
▶️ https://t.co/JG8Ac4ItlW#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/XjIHcWLESW
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) May 19, 2024

Kane observed how former Spurs team-mate Jermain Defoe would take shots quickly because of the speed of Premier League defenders, and his favourite finish is across the goalkeeper after taking a touch to get the ball out in front of his feet. It is as iconic as Kane’s trademark penalty. He generates such force in those shots that he typically rolls onto his left ankle in the follow-through. “It’s part of the motion,” says Navandar.

The only constant in Kane’s career has been change, evolving as a striker and finisher. He showed against Arsenal’s David Raya in the Champions League last season that he is capable of taking penalties where he watches the goalkeeper and then goes the other way to their dive; he used to take penalties without regarding the ’keeper.

If there were any doubts about his penalty-taking after the vital miss against France late in England’s 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat, Kane has quashed them. He has scored all 21 spot kicks since, the longest consecutive scoring streak of his career, including a hat-trick of them in Bayern’s 9-2 Champions League win against Dinamo Zagreb in September. Those three goals made him the leading English scorer in Champions League history, overtaking Wayne Rooney.

Those two floppy ankles have also brought seven Golden Boots for club and country.

(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

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2026 World Cup Odds: How Far Can Mexico Go After Winning Group A?

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2 hours ago

June 19, 2026

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2026 World Cup Odds: How Far Can Mexico Go After Winning Group A?

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After its massive 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday night, Mexico has won Group A and officially clinched a spot in the knockout round.

El Tri will play its Round of 32 game in Mexico City, and will face the third-place finisher in either Group C/E/F/H/I.

This is the fourth time that Mexico has topped the group stage of a World Cup, with the other three coming in 1986, 1994 and 2002.

With the win, Mexico remains unbeaten in World Cup group games at home, going a combined 6-2-0 (W-D-L), with two wins and a draw in 1970 and 1986, and now two wins in 2026.

Before the tournament began, Mexico was listed at +6500 to win the World Cup. Now, after winning its first two games of the tournament, Mexico has surged up the oddsboard to +5000.

Can Mexico build off its first two matches and make a deep run in this tournament? Let’s check out the updated odds for El Tri as of June 19.

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Team Mexico — Stage of Elimination

Last 32: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
Last 16: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)
Quarterfinals: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Semifinals: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Runner-up: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Outright winner: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)

Mexico is currently +5000 to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after winning Group A (Getty Images).

Mexico’s Past World Cup Results:

1930: Group stage
1934: Did not qualify
1938: Withdrew
1950: Group stage
1954: Group stage
1958: Group stage
1962: Group stage
1966: Group stage
1970: Quarterfinals
1974: Did not qualify
1978: Group stage
1982: Did not qualify
1986: Quarterfinals
1990: Banned
1994: Round of 16
1998: Round of 16
2002: Round of 16
2006: Round of 16
2010: Round of 16
2014: Round of 16
2018: Round of 16
2022: Group stage
2026: TBD

What to know: Mexico has made a habit of being in the running, but never really being in the running. Make sense? Consider this: El Tri made it out of the group stage in seven consecutive World Cups (1994-2018), but never made it past the Round of 16 in any of those years. In 2022, Mexico failed to make it out of the group stage, and it will look to get back to its winning ways in 2026 after a great start to the tournament. With its win Thursday night, Mexico has now advanced to the knockout stage in eight of the last nine World Cups. It is important to note, however, that Mexico has never made it past the quarterfinals at a FIFA men’s World Cup.

Sports

Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel’s elite play and South Korea’s mistake help Mexico advance

Published

3 hours ago

June 19, 2026

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Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel’s elite play and South Korea’s mistake help Mexico advance

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Three and a half years after its biggest failure on the World Cup stage in half a century, the Mexican national team needed only two games to advance to the knockout round of this year’s tournament as winner of Group A.

Mexico’s defense held off a spirited final push by South Korea, earning a 1-0 win on Thursday night at Guadalajara Stadium in front of a fiery announced sellout crowd of 45,522.

“It was a very tough game,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said.

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake in the 50th minute, failing to stop what appeared to be a simple cross and bobbling the ball. That allowed Mexico’s Luis Romo to easily tap the ball into the net and claim a 1-0 lead.

“In the end, a mistake was going to tip the scales,” Aguirre said.

Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel blocks a shot from South Korea’s Son Heung-min during their World Cup match at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.

(Natacha Pisarenko / Ap Photo/natacha Pisarenko)

“You always want to be there; I felt it, and I got the chance,” said Romo, who started the game after starting the opener on the bench — a strategic change by the Mexican coach that paid off.

South Korea put pressure on the Mexican team throughout the game. Late in the scoreless first half, Jae-sung Lee came close to giving South Korea the lead. Aguirre hoped his team would shake off nerves following the emotional opener at Azteca Stadium and show more bite in its second game against South Korea, but his team didn’t have much power behind its attack during the game’s first 45 minutes.

The crowd in Guadalajara grew frustrated and began booing the Mexican national team’s performance at the end of the first half.

Mexico, however, won back their cheers when it capitalized on South Korea’s costly mistake and converted it into a goal.

Obed Vargas replaced Romo in the 71st minute and was close to scoring a spectacular goal if not for Seung-gyu’s save.

El Tri earned a win without any other goals thanks, in part, to a great night by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, who stopped a header by Cho Gue-sung in the 87th minute. Captain Edson Álvarez helped turn away South Korea’s attack late, holding up relatively well despite having left ankle surgery during the past year.

“It was just a reflex,” said Rangel, whose club team Chivas plays at at Guadalajara Stadium. “I was very focused and stepped up when the team needed me, and I’m happy about that.”

LAFC star and South Korea captain Son Heung-min fired one shot over Mexico’s goalkeeper in the first half, but Álvarez cleared it off the line before the referee ruled Son was offsides.

South Korea finished controlling possession 58% of the time, but it only earned two shots on target.

“It wasn’t a good game because they didn’t let us do much,” Aguirre said.

Mexico was coming off a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa, while the South Koreans had defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, marking their first World Cup opening-match win since 2010.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1978, breaking a streak of seven consecutive appearances in the knockout rounds. However, playing on home soil, the team’s goal is to emulate El Tri’s achievements in 1970 and 1986, when they reached the quarterfinals — the country’s best World Cup finish.

Due to the new 48-team format, Mexico would need to win two knockout-round matches and reach a sixth game to realize its goals.

“We’re taking it one step at a time; first, there’s the third game,” Romo said.

Mexico's Luis Romo celebrates with his teammates after scoring during a match against South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium

After the win over South Korea, Mexico will close out group play against Czechia at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Wednesday. El Tri will get to play the first two games of the knockout round — should it win the first one — at Azteca Stadium, a venue where it has never lost a World Cup game.

South Korea has four points and will be favored when it plays South Africa Wednesday in Monterrey. If South Korea wins the match, it would be the Group A runner-up and advance to play the Group B runner-up on June 28 at SoFi Stadium.

“We want all nine points,” Vargas said of Mexico’s goal entering its next game against Czechia.

Sports

2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Race Tracker: Lionel Messi Is Alone At The Top

Published

12 hours ago

June 18, 2026

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2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Race Tracker: Lionel Messi Is Alone At The Top

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Who’ll win the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The race is on for who’ll score the most goals at the tournament, and it is set to be one of the tournament’s most closely watched storylines.

Several of the world’s top forwards will be aiming to finish as the competition’s leading goalscorer. Kylian Mbappé enters the tournament after winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Mikel Oyarzabal are among the other players expected to challenge for the award.

And check out our list of all the 2026 World Cup goals, ranked!

Favorites To Win The Golden Boot

Harry Kane: +310 (bet $10 to win $41 total)
Lionel Messi: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Kylian Mbappé: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Erling Haaland: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Kai Havertz: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Vinícius Júnior: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Folarin Balogun: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Mikel Oyarzabal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Lamine Yamal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Raphinha: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Michael Olise: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Romelu Lukaku: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Viktor Gyökeres: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Cody Gakpo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Cristiano Ronaldo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

3 Goals

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

2 Goals

Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
Harry Kane (England)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Kylian Mbappé (France)
Harry Kane (England)
Elijah Just (New Zealand)
Yasin Ayari (Sweden)
Kai Havertz (Germany)
Folarin Balogun (USA)

1 Goal

Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
Rubén Vargas (Switzerland)
Ermin Mahmic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Michal Sadilek (Czechia)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa)
Jáminton Campaz (Colombia)
Luis Díaz (Colombia)
Daniel Muñoz (Colombia)
Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Martin Baturina (Croatia)
Petar Musa (Croatia)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Marko Arnautović (Austria)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Ali Olwan (Jordan)
Romano Schmid (Austria)
Leo Østigard (Norway)
Ayman Hussein (Iraq)
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)
Bradley Barcola (France)
Ramin Rezaeian (Iran)
Mohammad Mohebbi (Iran)
Maxi Araújo (Uruguay)
Abdulelah Al-Amri (Saudi Arabia)
Emam Ashour (Egypt)
Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden)
Mattias Svanberg (Sweden)
Omar Rekik (Tunisia)
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Keito Nakamura (Japan)
Daichi Kamada (Japan)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands)
Felix Nmecha (Germany)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Germany)
Jamal Musiala (Germany)
Nathaniel Brown (Germany)
Deniz Undav (Germany)
Connor Metcalfe (Australia)
Nestory Irankunda (Australia)
John McGinn (Scotland)
Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
Breel Embolo (Switzerland)
Gio Reyna (USA)
Mauricio (Paraguay)
Cyle Larin (Canada)
Jovo Lukić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Ladislav Krejcí (Czechia)
Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
Raúl Jimenez (Mexico)
Hwang In-Beom (South Korea)
Oh Hyeon-Gyu (South Korea)