Tuchel hails Kane’s Wembley Ballon d’Or debut before Croatia

Beneath Wembley’s bright lights, Thomas Tuchel hailed Harry Kane as the perfect captain and standout player as the 33‑year‑old readies for his first match since winning the Ballon d’Or and earning his record 126th England cap. Tuchel confirmed that Kane will start the Three Lions’ Nations League clash with Croatia at Wembley on Thursday.

The occasion will also see Kane presented with the Ballon d’Or trophy in front of the home crowd before he overtakes Peter Shilton’s appearance record. When asked whether Kane is England’s greatest‑ever player, Tuchel said, “I don’t know, but he is up there of course. It’s now proven and it’s always nice if things are proven. He has his collection of prizes, his records, he will build on these records, score more goals and get more games. Tomorrow he will start as captain of course.” He called the ceremony a “big, beautiful occasion” to hand the Ballon d’Or to fans and mark the day Kane reaches 126 caps.

Match stakes and qualification

Tuchel added that the game is a Nations League fixture, not a friendly, and that the team must be at peak fitness to win. England, who beat Croatia 7‑0 in the reverse fixture, need only a point at home before travelling to Spain to face the Group A3 leaders in March. He explained that having worked with Kane at Bayern Munich in the 2023‑24 season made the England role easy to accept, and that proximity to the Premier League excited him.

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Tuchel said he loves the squad’s attitude, spirit and energy, and that having Kane as captain is a valuable bonus. He recalled discussing the job at Kane’s Munich home, concluding that he had found a perfect captain and leader by example.

England one step from quarters vs Croatia: channel and streaming