Harry Kane Scores Winner on Record 126th England Cap as England Beat Croatia 2-1
The England captain passed Peter Shilton as the country's most-capped men's player, then scored a second-half penalty to seal a 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia at Wembley and a place in the quarter-finals.
Harry Kane marked his record 126th England appearance with the winning goal on Thursday night, scoring from the penalty spot in a 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia at Wembley.
The 33-year-old captain passed goalkeeper Peter Shilton, whose record of 125 caps had stood since 1989. Before kickoff, Shilton handed Kane a commemorative token, and the Prince of Wales presented him with a shirt marked 126. Kane also showed the crowd the Ballon d’Or trophy he won last month, the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
Morgan Rogers put England ahead in the 24th minute, after Kane’s pass set up Jude Bellingham to cross. Croatia drew level in the 59th minute when Petar Sucic punished a misplaced header back to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford by Jarell Quansah. Quansah won the penalty that settled the match, pulled down by Ivan Smolcic from a corner after a VAR check, and Kane converted in the 64th minute for his 92nd England goal.
Quarter-finals booked
Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich, made his England debut in 2015 against Lithuania and scored 79 seconds after coming on as a substitute. He passed Wayne Rooney as England’s record scorer in 2023 and became the most-capped outfield player with his 121st cap. He now has 92 goals and has said his next target is 100; only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Ali Daei have scored 100 international goals.
The win sent England into the Nations League quarter-finals in March. England sit second in Group A3 on nine points, three behind Spain, and travel to Madrid on Sunday with first place still to be decided. “It was incredible. Everything was amazing,” Kane said after the match. “These occasions feel much better when you win.”
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and Sky Sports.
