England captain Harry Kane marked a historic milestone by becoming the most-capped player in the country’s history as England defeated Croatia 2-1 at Wembley Stadium on Friday to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals.
Kane made his 126th appearance for England, surpassing the previous record held by Peter Shilton. The Ballon d’Or winner celebrated the achievement with a victory, scoring from the penalty spot as England completed a comeback against Croatia.
Reflecting on the milestone, Kane said representing England had been a childhood dream and expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates and staff who had supported him throughout his career.
The occasion also featured a special gesture from Croatia captain and football legend Luka Modric, who presented Kane with a replica of a historic football associated with the introduction of the sport to Croatia in the late 19th century.
The Croatian Football Federation said the original ball had been brought to the eastern Croatian town of Zupanja by English industrialists in 1880 and described the replica as a symbol of the longstanding connection between Croatian and English football.
On the field, England took the lead in the 24th minute when Morgan Rogers finished after being set up by Jude Bellingham. The hosts carried a 1-0 advantage into half-time.
Croatia levelled shortly before the hour mark when Petar Sucic capitalised on a mistake involving England defender Jarell Quansah and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England restored their lead five minutes later after Ivan Smolcic committed a foul on Quansah inside the area, allowing Kane to convert the resulting penalty.
England held on for the win despite Croatia’s late pressure, securing the three points and their place in the knockout stage.
Kane admitted England had given the ball away too cheaply at times but felt the team created enough opportunities to score more goals. He also looked ahead to Sunday’s meeting with Spain, with top spot in Group A3 at stake.
England had lost narrowly to Spain at Wembley in September, and Kane said the upcoming fixture would provide an opportunity for his side to show how much it has improved since that defeat.
“After the first game, when we lost against them, we knew we left a bit out there,” Kane said. “We knew we could have done a bit better. We said to ourselves, let us win every game until the next one. It’s a perfect opportunity on Sunday to try and prove ourselves.”
