Lloris: Harry Kane “should be proud of what he’s done” at World Cup

There’s no way Hugo Lloris wouldn’t be gracious in victory. That’s why he’s club captain for both France and Tottenham Hotspur. In quotes released today in French outlet RMCSport, Hugo revealed that he messaged his club teammate Harry Kane after France’s dramatic 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal victory over England this past weekend.

Kane notably faced off against Lloris in two penalty kicks during the match. He converted the first, but crucially skied the second shot over the bar and into the stands, effectively handing France the victory.

But Hugo told the French media that he checked in with Kane after the match via text to give commiserations to his friend and offer encouragement.

“We exchanged messages after the match. It was hard to find the words after such a hard match. I think he needs rest, but it’s a difficult time for the England national team, as well as for him personally. But I think he can be proud about what he has done for the national team during this World Cup.”

It’s exactly what we’d expect from club teammates that had the unenviable position of having to face off against each other in the World Cup. This matchup in particular was made even more dramatic by the diametrically-opposed positions that Hugo and Harry play — Kane’s job is to score goals, while Hugo’s is to stop them. It felt almost inevitable that they’d end up directly facing each other one on one. For Spurs fans who like and respect both players, the match and those two penalty kicks in particular was excruciating to watch.

But there can only be one winner. Hugo and France got the better of Kane and England this time. And while I’d expect the display of sportsmanship that Hugo displayed above, it’s still nice to actually see it happen.