Harry Kane celebrated a historic night at Wembley by scoring the winning goal as England defeated Croatia 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League, securing their place in next year’s quarter-finals.
The Bayern Munich striker made his record-breaking 126th appearance for England, surpassing former goalkeeper Peter Shilton to become the country’s most-capped men’s player.
The 33-year-old received a special reception before kick-off, with a giant tifo honouring his achievement. Kane, who recently won the Ballon d’Or, also received recognition from Prince William and Shilton, while his children joined the celebrations.
“Breaking the record is a massive thing in the history of our game, seeing the tifo there, having my kids with me, and being presented by all the people was beyond dreams, so of course you have got to take it in,” Kane said.
“It’s an important milestone in England’s history but once the whistle goes, the most important thing is the match and trying to win.”
Despite the celebrations, England struggled to find their rhythm early in the contest.
Thomas Tuchel’s side eventually broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Kane delivered a clever chipped pass to Jude Bellingham, who set up Morgan Rogers for a close-range finish.
Croatia fought back after the break, taking advantage of a defensive mistake to level the score in the 59th minute.
Jarell Quansah’s attempted header towards goalkeeper Jordan Pickford fell short, allowing Petar Sucic to react quickly and score.
However, Quansah made amends just five minutes later when he won a penalty after being pulled by Ivan Smolcic during an England corner.
Following a VAR review, Kane stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, taking his international tally to 92 goals, including 27 penalties.
Substitute James Garner later had a goal ruled out after Bellingham was caught offside during the build-up.
Although England failed to produce their best football, Kane remained influential throughout, regularly dropping into midfield to create opportunities with his passing.
The England captain is now just eight goals away from reaching 100 international goals, another milestone he has openly identified as a major target.
England will next face world champions Spain, who defeated the Czech Republic 2-0, on Sunday. Victory would send Tuchel’s side to the top of their Nations League group.
For Kane, the record-breaking evening offered another reminder of his remarkable international career and his continued importance to England’s hopes of winning a major trophy.
