Kane scores winner on record 126th appearance for England

LONDON, Nov 12 : 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 that seemed destined to happen when he stepped up in the 64th minute to put England ahead in front of an 80,400-strong crowd after the hosts had conceded a sloppy equaliser five minutes earlier.

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.   

Kane had started a night of celebration as the centre of attention, handed a commemorative token by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the previous record holder since 1989 when he surpassed Bobby Moore's 108 caps.

Kane - the only player featured on the cover of the matchday programme and greeted with a huge roar by the crowd - 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. 

ROONEY RECORD SURPASSED

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.

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