England captain Harry Kane has displayed a "clear double standard" by speaking out on Qatar before the 2022 World Cup while warmly discussing Donald Trump and remaining silent on controversies surrounding this year's tournament, British-Palestinian commentator Hamza Yusuf told The New Arab.
The criticism follows Kane's recent account of playing golf with the US president, which he described as a "surreal experience", prompting renewed scrutiny of the human rights principles he promoted ahead of the Qatar tournament.
Footage from March 2022 has also recirculated showing Kane discussing the England squad's responsibility to educate themselves about issues surrounding the first World Cup staged in the Middle East.
“…As is often the case, when it comes to the West, criticism and vocalness become optional. The double standard would be amusing if it wasn’t so galling,” Yusuf told The New Arab.
"England captain Harry Kane might have a short memory, but the rest of us don't. He spoke of how the Qatar World Cup "shone a light on important issues," the country apparently faces, and how he and other professional players could "use our platform to help in any way we can. That eagerness to be an activist has disappeared,” he continued.
Sports expert and content creator Salma Mashhour also said Qatar was subjected to far greater political and moral scrutiny than the United States, Canada and Mexico have faced during the current World Cup.
"I do think so. Qatar was treated as a political and moral issue from the beginning, and players were constantly asked what they would say or do about human rights. But it has been clear for a while now that with this World Cup, there has been far less pressure on players to discuss the politics of the host country," she told The New Arab.
Mashhour argued that the issue extended beyond Kane, pointing to Germany's protest at the Qatar World Cup and the country's subsequent treatment of pro-Palestinian expression.
"And it is not only Kane. Germany’s national team covered their mouths in Qatar to protest being “silenced,” but Germany has since been heavily criticised for the way pro-Palestinian voices have been restricted, punished or excluded. So there is clearly a wider issue of people defending free expression and human rights selectively," she said.
Mashhour noted that Kane had previously presented engagement with human rights as part of his responsibility as England captain, but appeared to abandon that position when discussing Trump.
"With Kane, the key point is that in 2022 he said captains had a responsibility to educate themselves, discuss human rights issues and not hide from them. But when the political figure involved was Donald Trump, that principle seemed to disappear," she added.
Before the 2022 World Cup, Kane publicly discussed concerns over migrant workers' rights and the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.
“We had that meeting last night. It was important to talk with the manager, staff and players. We wanted to qualify for the World Cup before doing that and we’ve done that, so it was our first chance to have that chat,” he said at the time.
“Gareth led that meeting. We spoke about what to expect, some of the important issues surrounding the World Cup…as a group we’ve never shied away from important issues, we’ve always had our opinions and always tried to show unity in everything we’ve done,” he continued.
When asked whether Qatar should have been allowed to host the tournament, Kane said: “It’s a hard question to answer if I am totally honest…like I touched on it wasn’t our decision, it was the decision of Fifa”.
Critics have since questioned why Kane has not spoken publicly about controversies surrounding this year's World Cup, including the treatment of Iranian players, US military attacks on Iran and Washington's support for Israel's wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
“The list is extensive: Iranian players being openly discriminated against compared to other nations; the fact that the US continues to arm Israel's genocide in Gaza and the assault on on Lebanon; and the ongoing US attacks on Iran whilst it banks on the football stealing all the attention,” Yusuf said.
“Harry Kane could have picked any one of those and used the platform he reminded everyone in 2022 was so crucial for highlighting what's important,” he added.
Golf with Trump
Kane recently confirmed that he played golf with Trump in Florida around 18 months ago after receiving an invitation from the US president.
“He invited me to play when I was down in Palm Beach, so yeah, when the president invites you somewhere … it was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him and obviously play golf with him," he said.
Kane also praised Trump's performance on the course.
Harry Kane confirms he played golf with Donald Trump: "We played about 18 months ago. He invited me to play when I was down in Palm Beach. It was a pretty surreal experience just to meet him and play golf with him" pic.twitter.com/LPBClmqvGi
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) July 11, 2026
“His golf’s pretty good, to be honest with you…I hope I can play golf as good as him when I’m his age, that’s for sure,” he said, describing himself as “grateful” for the “unique experience”.
Mashhour said the problem was not simply that Kane played golf with Trump, but the warm and apolitical language he used to describe the encounter.
"I do not think he praised Trump specifically, beyond his golf skills, but his choice of words is problematic," she said. "Calling it a “surreal experience,” speaking warmly about the meeting, and praising Trump’s game makes it sound like a harmless, apolitical celebrity encounter. I dont think Kane needed to turn the press conference into a political speech, but he could have chosen his words far more carefully."
She contrasted Kane's comments with the OneLove campaign he supported in Qatar, which was presented as a stand against discrimination.
"Trump is not just a famous golfer or a celebrity. He is a very powerful political figure whose policies and actions directly affect many of the groups England claimed to stand with in Qatar," Mashhour said.
"A jury found him liable for sexual abuse in the E. Jean Carroll case in 2023, with a separate defamation verdict following shortly after. In Qatar, the entire premise of the OneLove campaign was standing against discrimination and abuse. The contrast between the cause Kane attached his captaincy to and the figure he chose to describe warmly is one he has not been asked to account for nearly enough," she added.
Mashhour stressed that footballers should not be expected to comment on every political issue, but said those who choose to speak about human rights should apply their principles consistently.
"When they choose to speak about ethics and human rights, they should apply the same standard regardless of who is involved. Kane himself said that speaking about these issues was part of his responsibility as England captain. He has not really spoken up for anything since," she said.
The New Arab contacted Kane's management team for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.