Harry Kane insists he will relish the “new pressure” of challenging to win titles every year at Bayern Munich and knows success in Germany can put his name in the Ballon d’Or conversation. It has been a whirlwind week for the England captain after he departed boyhood club Tottenham on Saturday for an initial £100million fee, which could rise to £120m with add-ons. Kane made his Bayern debut later that same night in the DFL-Supercup but his wait for a first trophy goes on after RB Leipzig inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the Bundesliga champions. The 30-year-old is eager to add team success to a host of individual honours on his CV during his time in Munich. “A lot of people talk about the trophies and why I came here, but ultimately it was to improve,” Kane told Sky Sports. “To feel a new pressure of having to win titles every year, having to go far in the Champions League and pushing myself to that limit. “I think if you’re winning games, winning titles, winning Champions Leagues and I’m the one playing up front, it more than likely means I am scoring goals so that allows you to win other individual awards. “But that all comes from what you achieve as a team. That’s my focus first and foremost and that all starts on Friday. “We have a long season ahead. A lot of pressure for Bayern Munich to win the league and go far in the Champions League. That is what I am excited to try and challenge myself with.” An outstanding 2017 resulted in Kane finishing 10th in the Ballon d’Or list but Spurs have endured a difficult few seasons since they made the Champions League final in 2019. With Kane aware his chances of winning silverware were reducing at Tottenham, the forward made the decision to leave the north London club after a 19-year association. He hinted part of the decision to leave Spurs was to play in the Champions League and have no regrets at the end of his career. Kane added: “If you’re winning your league, winning the Champions League and we obviously have the European Championship next summer as well, I think as we’ve seen with the Ballon d’Or, you have to be winning team trophies to achieve that. “Yeah, if I am scoring goals and we’re winning trophies then of course that will come into question, but it is not really what my focus is on right now. A lot of people talk about the trophies and why I came here, but ultimately it was to improve Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane “I’ve always said throughout my whole career I never want to retire and feel like I could have done more or pushed myself more. That was a big part of the decision-making coming here. “I felt like to improve and to get better I had to be playing at the highest level. “Of course I want to win every competition that I play in, that’s the goal every season but when you finish your career, you want to make sure you pushed yourself to the limits and that’s what I’ll continue to do.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jurrien Timber set for lengthy absence as Arsenal reveal he needs surgery Massive congratulations – Harry Kane lauds Lionesses after win over Australia England book place in World Cup final – The Sydney victory in pictures

Pakistan coach Grant Bradburn wants to see his team play an aggressive brand of cricket when it starts the build-up for the World Cup with a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan next week

This is the heartwarming moment family and friends of England player Ella Toone celebrate her goal against Australia in the Lionesses World Cup semi-final win. The Manchester United midfielder opened the scoring for England in their 3-1 victory in Australia on Wednesday as the Lionesses secured their first-ever place in a World Cup final. In a video, published by BBC Sport, Toone’s friends and family can be seen and heard chanting her name. England will now face Spain for the title on Sunday.

Harry Kane and the Prince of Wales led the congratulations after England swept aside co-hosts Australia 3-1 to reach their first World Cup final. The Lionesses roared past the Matildas in front of a 75,784-strong crowd thanks to second-half strikes from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo. Ella Toone had fired England into the lead in the first half, but Sam Kerr produced a thunderous equaliser before Hemp and Russo helped Sarina Wiegman’s side end their run of World Cup last-four exits. Kane, England’s men’s record goal-scorer, was able to provide instant reaction during an interview with Sky Sports, saying: “Massive congratulations to the Lionesses. “It sounds like a heck of a game and massive congratulations. We’re all behind them and hopefully they can do it in the final.” Mead, player of the tournament when England won the European Championships last summer but who missed this tournament through injury, wrote on Twitter: “World Cup Final baby! Get in Lionesses.” Former England defender Gary Neville said: “An incredible achievement by the Lionesses. One more to go.” The prince tweeted his best wishes to the Lionesses for the final and offered his commiserations to Australia. “What a phenomenal performance from the Lionesses – on to the final,” he said. “Commiserations to The Matildas, you’ve played brilliantly and been fantastic co-hosts of this World Cup.” Gary Lineker, who won the Golden Boot for England at the 1986 World Cup, added: “Absolutely superb performance. “A World Cup final. A World Cup final at football. It’s been a while. What a wonderful achievement.” Retired Euros winner Ellen White expressed her emotions in the BBC studio following a roller-coaster second-half. Kerr levelled with a sensational long-range strike in the 63rd minute, but Hemp put England back in front eight minutes later before Russo finished with aplomb to send the Lionesses into the final. White, England’s women’s record goal-scorer, said on the BBC: “I feel quite emotional because what this team have done, the legacy they have created. To finally say we’re in a World Cup final, I feel so proud of this team. It is ridiculous. “They have had roller-coaster tournament and at times been criticised for the way they played, but the bond they share, to make a World Cup final is incredible and for Sarina to make World Cup finals back-to-back (she led the Netherlands to the 2019 final) shows what a coach she is. “I’ve never seen her like that, quite emotional, but it is because she puts so much into it.” White also hailed England’s current main striker Russo, adding: “She is in her own now. She’s taken the number nine role, grabbed it with both hands and it is a lot of pressure to be England number nine.” Ex-England player Alex Scott said on the BBC: “You almost run out of words for this Lionesses team. “Lauren Hemp and Jess Carter’s clearance, there were so many big moments that sum this team up that they have a unity, resilience and they have the quality too.” Izzy Christiansen, who represented England on 32 occasions, told BBC Radio Five Live: “To be honest I’m out of superlatives to describe Sarina Wiegman. You've just seen another masterclass again from Sarina Izzy Christiansen on England boss Sarina Wiegman “To come in and change the culture, instil a winning mentality, create a brand of football that’s pragmatic, interesting, lets the talent flourish. “We saw in the starting XI that she had all of her best players on the pitch, some managers struggle to find ways to get the best out of their best players. “You’ve just seen another masterclass again from Sarina.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England book place in World Cup final – The Sydney victory in pictures Sarina Wiegman asks if she’s in ‘a fairytale’ as England reach World Cup final World Cup joy, Ashes glory and netball delight – Big England wins in Australia

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England player Lucy Bronze was visibly emotional after the Lionesses’ emphatic World Cup semi-final win over Australia. Interviewed by the BBC on the pitch and asked how she felt, Bronze was struggling for words. She said: “I don’t know. This is the one thing I have always wanted, to make the final of the World Cup. “After getting two times of such disappointment, I can’t believe it.” Asked what coach Sarina Wiegman said in the huddle after the win, Bronze said: “Just that we played the game how we wanted to. We were resilient and we were determined.”

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Sarina Wiegman has questioned whether she is “in a fairytale” after guiding England to their first Women’s World Cup final following a 3-1 win against co-hosts Australia. Ella Toone, who replaced the suspended Lauren James for the Lionesses’ quarter-final win over Colombia, scored 36 minutes into her third start of the tournament in front of a capacity crowd of 75,784 in Sydney. Australia captain Sam Kerr, making her first start of competition, equalised for the first-time semi-finalists with a stunning individual goal after the break before Lauren Hemp put England back out in front. Alessia Russo made it 3-1 late in the second half to cap off the historic encounter and set up an all-European final showdown against Spain on Sunday. Wiegman will now appear in a fourth successive final as a head coach after winning the 2017 Women’s Euros with the Netherlands, who she managed in the World Cup final defeat to the United States two years later, before she led England to European glory last summer. Speaking after the semi-final victory pitchside, Wiegman told BBC One: “We achieved the final and it’s unbelievable, it feels like we’ve won it. “But we won this game, it’s an incredible stadium, an away game, of course it was a hard game but again we found a way to win. “We scored three goals, in this team that ruthlessness, whether it’s up front or in defence we really want to keep the ball out of the net, we really want to win and we stick together. We stick to the plan and it worked again.” Am I in a fairytale or something? England boss Sarina Wiegman She added: “The chance as a coach you make it to two finals is really special, I never take anything for granted but I’m like – am I in a fairytale or something?” England defender Lucy Bronze was overwhelmed after finally reaching the World Cup final at the third time of asking after featuring in England’s previous semi-final defeats. “This is the one thing I’ve always wanted, to be in the final of a World Cup and after two times of getting such disappointment, I honestly can’t believe it.” She added: “We all dreamed of being in the final and all our family and friends booked here to stay until the final because they believed in us. To have everybody here and all that support is unbelievable. “It’s been amazing to play against Australia, what a fantastic tournament they had, but I’m so happy to get to the final.” Sunday’s final sees Bronze and Keira Walsh pitted against some of their Barcelona team-mates and the defender praised Spain’s performance in the tournament. Bronze said: “They’ve been very good. Me and Keira know 90 per cent of the starting 11 pretty well so I think we’ll be getting asked a lot of questions ahead of the final.” Captain Millie Bright echoed her team-mate’s sentiments that “the dream remains alive”. “I think it’s a moment that we’ve wanted for so long, we had amazing success last summer, but we always knew there was something missing and it was the World Cup,” she said. “Now we have that opportunity and like Less (Russo) said before, the dream remains alive. What an incredible semi-final.” Bright will lead the team out on Sunday and admitted it will feel “incredible”. She added: “Crazy, to be honest I’m just keeping two feet on the ground and remaining on task and focused,” she said. “I don’t even have any words for that, to be saying we’re going to the final is crazy and overwhelming – there’s so many different emotions. “Just so happy we could give the fans the dream they wanted back home and the fans that are here as well, but to lead them out will be absolutely incredible.”

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England walked out and for a moment it might have felt like they had been there before. A crowd of over 75,000, millions elsewhere turning in. An expectant nation inspired by the power and momentum of a team who represent something greater than themselves. But this wasn’t the Euros final. This wasn’t Wembley. This time England were the enemy, deep in the land of Matildas fever. This time they faced the crowd, the noise, the jeers and boos, the helicopters hovering over their training session and splashing photos of their plans across the morning newspapers. They faced Australia’s biggest night in a generation. They faced the spirit of Cathy Freeman, and a moment that would unify the country. They faced Sam Kerr, and they heard the eruption that greeted the star of the World Cup finally having her moment. The Lionesses faced all that but did not shake. Instead, they turned it into a first World Cup final, in a tournament that has been defined by the problems and challenges that have blocked their every turn. For England, this was the anti-Euros final, as the Lionesses got one game away from their World Cup dream while denying the hosts a shot at theirs. As England tamed the atmosphere in Sydney, and Sweet Caroline rang around the quickly emptying Stadium Australia, they did so with the coldest and most clinical performance of Sarina Wiegman’s reign. The Lionesses fouled, the Lionesses wasted time, the Lionesses picked up cheap yellow cards and took away Australia’s momentum. But they also played, they controlled, and they were the better team for large spells. And when Kerr burst forward and struck an unstoppable shot past Mary Earps, England managed to overturn the story of the World Cup and produce something from nothing all over again. It helps, then, that they could turn to a player who at this World Cup has lifted England by doing that. Lauren Hemp has turned into England’s match-winner, a devastating central forward transformed from a player who was as true a winger as you could possibly find. The Euros last summer were supposed to be her tournament and the 23-year-old was tipped to be its breakout star. In response, opponents double-marked her and in turn, it created space for Beth Mead to be England’s player of the tournament on the opposite flank. In another world, Hemp’s World Cup could have been over when England switched formation and landed on a system that wouldn’t use wingers at all. Kept in the team but as a second forward, Hemp has been released by it, becoming the pinball in England’s attack. Against Australia she was everywhere once again, bouncing off the challenges, pinging around the frontline and doing the work of two positions. Hemp is so involved because she chases everything, winning a throw-in, taking the ball and driving, not towards goal but just to get England up the pitch. In England’s gruelling progress through the knockout stages, she has grafted endlessly, turning hopeful punts into clever, targeted balls downfield. And then she got her reward, not once but twice: the first to put England towards the final, the second to seal it. Chasing down Ellie Carpenter, Hemp burst in behind, took a ball that was not hers to win, and finished past Mackenzie Arnold. Then, moments after Kerr blazed a golden chance over the bar, Hemp created Alessia Russo’s goal from a position that was not even a fraction as threatening. Hemp latched onto a loose ball in midfield, she turned, accelerated, delayed the pass and created the angle for her strike partner. The finish was ruthless too. At the end of it all, England somehow managed to get away with it while also being utterly deserving of their place in Sunday’s final. This was a night where England needed to be perfect and there were large spells where they simply weren’t. The Lionesses rode their luck until it looked like they had run out of it. Australia waited for a moment, a loose England pass, or a break downfield, and the Lionesses gave them both; Russo was dispossessed and Kerr raced away. As England should have known, with Kerr, a moment like that was all Australia required. But on the whole, England were just cooler than Australia. In the first half, the pressure England were facing came from themselves, but it almost seemed that as soon as Wiegman’s side realised that, they immediately relaxed and the picture they were facing became clearer. Slowly, gradually, England figured it out. For the first time, Keira Walsh was able to turn on the ball and England were able to put a move together, playing through midfield, finding the space out. They looked a level above, but this was an occasion where their dark arts were needed as well. There were a trio of fouls on Kerr within the opening 25 minutes of the Australia captain’s first start of the World Cup. As the Lionesses closed it out, Earps took her time from every goal-kick, Jess Carter with every throw-in down England’s right. Lucy Bronze stayed down, then so did Georgia Stanway. Hemp kept the ball in the corner, Chloe Kelly refused to throw it back. But England had been here before; this was the experience of European champions, and now there is an even bigger prize to win. Read More Sensational England capitalise on Sam Kerr’s missed moment to make World Cup history When do England play the Women’s World Cup final? Will Lauren James play in the Women’s World Cup final? Lionesses react after beating Australia in Women’s World Cup semis Sensational England capitalise on Sam Kerr’s missed moment to make World Cup history Will Lauren James play in the Women’s World Cup final?

The England Lionesses celebrated their emphatic win against Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final with a sing-along to Sweet Caroline on the pitch. The players can be seen hugging one another, jumping up and down, and singing the classic hit, which has symbolised the team’s rise to success in recent years. The Lionesses roared to a 3-1 victory against the home nation on Wednesday with goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, and Alessia Russo. England will now play Spain in the final on Sunday.