British footballer Harry Kane revealed on Friday that he took part in a round of golf with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida approximately 18 months ago, following a personal invitation from the president.
Kane, addressing the media in Miami before England’s World Cup quarterfinal face-off with Norway, confirmed this unique encounter with Trump during a press briefing.
“While in Palm Beach, I received an invite from him. It was quite an extraordinary experience to meet the president and have the chance to play golf alongside him,” he shared, commending Trump’s golfing prowess.
Kane remarked, “I must admit, his golfing abilities are impressive. I certainly hope to play with such skill when I reach his age.”
Trump reminisced about the golfing event earlier this week, expressing his admiration for Kane, who has become one of the standout players in this year’s FIFA World Cup.
“I think Kane is a great player,” the president said. “See, I played golf with him, and I like him a lot. He’s a good golfer.”
The two are believed to have played at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, though neither specified the course.
Trump has taken a strong interest in the World Cup, which is being hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Earlier this week, he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino in an attempt to reverse a red card given to U.S. men’s national team star player Folarin Balogun, which caused him to receive an automatic one-match suspension.
Balogun’s suspension was ultimately reduced to a suspended sentence, a decision Infantino insisted was not influenced by the president’s outreach, making him eligible to play in the U.S.’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
The U.S. was later eliminated from the tournament after losing 4-1 to Belgium.
Kane is hoping to lead England to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1966. The 32-year-old is among the top scorers in the tournament so far, having already scored six goals for England.
Norway and England play on Saturday afternoon. A day earlier, the British and Norwegian embassies in Washington, D.C., shared light-hearted banter online ahead of the game.