Kane's record night propels England into Nations League quarter‑finals

On Thursday at Wembley Stadium in London (Londres), England defeated Croatia 2‑1 in the fifth round of Group 3, securing a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter‑finals; Harry Kane, the recent Bola d'Or winner, marked his 126th cap – the most ever for the English Team – and added his 92nd international goal.

Match narrative and records

Kane, who was voted the Ballon d'Or this season, became the sole player to reach 126 appearances for England, overtaking former record‑holder Peter Shilton, who was on hand alongside Prince William. The first half was tight, with England preferring counter‑attacks while Croatia pressed forward but only forced a save from Pickford at the 32‑minute mark.

At the 24th minute, a defensive lapse by Croatia allowed Morgan Rogers to open the scoring after Kane’s initial pass found Jude Bellingham, whose cross was collected by the number‑17 forward inside the six‑yard box. The second half saw England create two further chances, but a mistake by defender Jarell Quansah led to Petar Sucic’s equaliser in the 59th minute.

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VAR intervened after a pull in the penalty area; the referee awarded a spot‑kick, which Kane converted in the 64th minute to restore England’s lead. Luka Modrić entered the field in the 76th minute, giving Croatia renewed energy, yet a potential third England goal was ruled out for offside against Bellingham.

Despite Croatia’s sustained pressure, they could not find another goal and the 2‑1 result stood, meaning England advance while Croatia now faces a possible relegation playoff to League B against a group runner‑up. Spain’s 2‑0 win over the Czech Republic kept their 100 percent record and lifted them to 15 points.

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England sit on 12 points, Croatia on three and the Czech Republic remain scoreless; the next fixtures see Croatia host the Czech Republic and England travel to Spain on Sunday.