Harry Kane celebrated a historic milestone by scoring from the penalty spot to guide England to a 2-1 victory over Croatia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, securing a place in the Nations League quarterfinals.
The 33-year-old Ballon d’Or winner officially earned his 126th international cap at kickoff, surpassing former goalkeeper Peter Shilton to become England’s most-capped player. Before the match, a giant banner displaying Kane’s picture and the phrase “England’s Finest” was unveiled, followed by a special presentation featuring Shilton and Football Association patron Prince William.
Slaven Bilic’s Croatia side aimed to bounce back from a humiliating 7-0 defeat against England in Rijeka last month. They presented a far sturdier defense from the opening whistle in London as both teams struggled to establish momentum early on.
An early opportunity saw Elliot Anderson shoot over the crossbar in the 16th minute, while Croatia’s Josip Misic sent a effort wide midway through the first half. England broke the deadlock in the 24th minute following a skilful team combination.
Kane floated a high pass to Jude Bellingham on the right side of the penalty box. The Real Madrid midfielder set up the ball across the area, where Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol struggled to clear, allowing Chelsea forward Morgan Rogers to poke the ball past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
England controlled the remainder of the first half and stayed on top early in the second period, but Croatia leveled unexpectedly just before the hour mark. Following a corner, England defender Jarell Quansah misdirected a close-range header toward goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, allowing Petar Sucic to capitalize and score. England started to find some rhythm as they went in search of a second goal but failed to add to their tally before half-time.
Quansah made amends shortly after when his shirt was pulled inside the penalty area. Referee Morten Krogh initially let play continue, but after reviewing the incident on the VAR pitchside monitor, he awarded England a penalty. Kane stepped up and drilled the ball home, recording his 92nd goal for his country.
Croatia kept pushing for another equalizer, with Nikola Vlasic flashing a dangerous shot just wide of Pickford’s post. England thought they had scored a third when James Garner finished off a cut-back from Bellingham, but the goal was ruled out because Bellingham had been offside during the buildup.
The victory keeps Thomas Tuchel’s squad second in Group A3 behind Spain, clinching their berth in the Nations League last eight scheduled for March. Spain maintained their top spot by earning a 2-0 victory against Czechia in Prague on Thursday.
England will now travel to Madrid for a crucial clash against the reigning world champions on Sunday, seeking redemption for their 3-2 defeat in the opening group fixture. Speaking to ITV after the match, Kane recalled that initial setback, stating that the team knew they had left something on the pitch against Spain. He added that the squad resolved to win every subsequent match, calling Sunday’s upcoming fixture the perfect opportunity to prove themselves. According to we, To ourselves, ‘Let’s win every game until the next one and see what happens’. “We knew we could’ve done a bit better.
