LONDON: Captain Harry Kane celebrated his record 126th cap for England with a match-winner from the penalty spot as England beat Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday to qualify for the Nations League last eight.
The 33-year-old followed a script written in the stars when he stepped up in the 64th minute to put England ahead in front of an 80,400-strong crowd soon after the hosts had conceded a sloppy equaliser.
It was the Bayern Munich forward’s 92nd England goal and there was never any doubt from the moment he placed the ball and sent it straight down the middle as goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic dived to his left.
“We got the job done and it was important because it was a special occasion for Harry and he scored the winner, so perfect evening,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said.
Night of celebration
Kane had started a night of celebration by walking out with his four children and being handed a commemorative token by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who had held the record for appearances since 1989 when he surpassed Bobby Moore’s 108 caps.
The only player featured on the cover of the matchday programme, and greeted with a huge roar by the crowd who displayed a giant banner in his honour, Kane showed off the Ballon d’Or trophy he won last month before being given a shirt with “126” on the back by the Prince of Wales.
Croatia captain Luka Modric, who played with Kane at Tottenham Hotspur from 2009-12, presented his friend with a replica of the first football brought to his country by English industrialists in 1880.
The only other recipient of a similar gift was the late Pope Francis at a private audience in 2024.
[[nid:1576487]]
“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. I’ve always said all these big milestones that I’ve had, when you win the game it makes it 10 times better,” Kane said.
Kane’s 92 goals are 39 more than next-best Wayne Rooney and he could have scored more against opponents who they beat 7-0 in Croatia last month.
The captain teed up Morgan Rogers’ first goal in the 24th and could have had the ball in the net shortly after the break.
Described by England manager Thomas Tuchel as the “perfect captain and a leader by example”, Kane’s debut came as a substitute against Lithuania in 2015 when he scored 79 seconds after coming on.
Winning a major team trophy with England remains the biggest dream after they finished third at the 2026 World Cup but Kane has set himself a next target of 100 goals. .
“It’s achievable for sure,” said Kane, who scored 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and England last season.
“Getting closer. Obviously another important goal…I missed my last penalty at Bayern so I think the next one is always important to bounce back and not get on a run of misses.”
Only three male players have scored 100 international goals – Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Ali Daei of Iran.
Kane also holds the England record for major tournament appearances with 36, goals at major tournaments (21), major tournament games as captain (32) and goals at Wembley (32).
Shilton, now 77, earned his 125th cap at the 1990 World Cup at the age of 40.
“Really, I couldn’t think of anyone better than Harry (to take the record) not only because of his football record but also the type of person that he is. He’s been a great professional and has an impeccable CV,” Shilton told http://www.FIFA.com.