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Former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has expressed his admiration for Harry Kane over Erling Haaland, praising the England skipper for his exceptional football intelligence and team-oriented play. The legendary Uruguayan forward emphasised that Kane’s understanding of the game and awareness of his team-mates make him stand out among modern number nines.

In a detailed conversation with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Suarez analysed the qualities of today’s top strikers. The former Barcelona and Liverpool star compared Haaland’s ruthless finishing to Kane’s all-round contribution, ultimately favouring the English forward for his ability to elevate the performance of those around him through superior positioning and tactical awareness.

When asked to name his favourite active centre-forwards, Suarez explained the distinct characteristics that separate the elite strikers of the modern era.

Suarez said: “I have two or three. Haaland is a lethal number nine inside the box, but the team has to play for him. I prefer Harry Kane. He connects better with his team-mates. He moves thinking about a team-mate’s counter-movement, he understands the game differently. I love those kinds of details.”

Suarez also took a moment to talk about his fellow Uruguayan Darwin Nunez, who recently left Liverpool to join Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. The younger striker has faced questions over his consistency and finishing, and Suarez offered advice on how Nunez could reach his full potential at this new stage of his career.

“And then there’s Darwin,” Suarez continued. “The first thing he needs to do is change his mentality and strengthen it, because for me he has spectacular qualities. He knows the choice he made leaving Liverpool, but I see him as someone who can fully bounce back.

“If he reaches his best form, he’s a striker I really like. He’s quick, strong, and powerful. There are still parts of his game that can be improved, but he’s young and has room to grow.”

Looking ahead, both Kane and Haaland remain pivotal to their nations’ respective World Cup ambitions. Kane, fresh from his brace against Croatia, will lead England into their next match against Panama on Saturday night, as he continues his pursuit of breaking Gary Lineker’s long-standing record.

Haaland, who was rested in Norway’s previous fixture against France, is preparing for a challenging round-of-32 encounter with Ivory Coast after guiding his country successfully through the group stage.