Harry Kane is set to lead England against Croatia on Thursday at Wembley Stadium, bringing with him the recently won Ballon d’Or trophy. The 33 year old captain will present the individual award to home fans before kick off, adding a ceremonial layer to a match where a quarterfinal place in the UEFA Nations League is on the line.
Beyond the trophy presentation, Kane is on the verge of cementing his place in national team history. He will make his 126th appearance for England, surpassing the long standing record held by Peter Shilton since 1990. Shilton is expected to be in attendance to witness the moment. Kane, who also holds the record for most goals with 91, described the milestone as one of the biggest achievements of his career, citing the dedication required to maintain consistency at the highest level.
Manager Thomas Tuchel praised Kane as the perfect captain and a leader by example, noting that the Bayern Munich forward is getting smarter with age. Tuchel also confirmed that he has no intention of leaving the England job before the 2028 European Championship, regardless of interest from major clubs.
England currently sit second in Group A3 with nine points, behind leaders Spain who have 12. A draw against Croatia will be sufficient to secure a spot in the last eight. Croatia, currently third, are looking for redemption after a heavy defeat to England last month and a recent loss to Spain. Manager Slaven Bilic emphasized the importance of finishing third to retain their status in the Nations League A division.
A notable subplot involves the Bellingham brothers. Jobe Bellingham has received his first senior call up after impressing at Borussia Dortmund and in the under 21 setup. If he plays, he will join his older brother Jude in the squad, becoming the first set of brothers to play for England since Gary and Phil Neville in 2007. Jude previously called the prospect a highlight of his career, while Jobe described it as an emotional milestone for the family.
The last meeting between these sides in Rijeka last month ended in a 7 0 victory for England. Goals from Kane and Bukayo Saka, along with strikes from Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers, highlighted a dominant performance. Tuchel noted that the team must not chase the same result but instead focus on winning to set up a favorable position for Sunday’s trip to Madrid to face Spain.
For England, defenders Ezri Konsa and Djed Spence are expected to recover for Sunday, while Marc Guehi is out with a hip injury. Bukayo Saka is absent due to a quadriceps issue, and Myles Lewis Skelly is suspended. Declan Rice is expected to return to the midfield alongside Elliot Anderson. Croatia will be without Ivan Perisic, who received a red card against Spain, as well as several other key players including Luka Sucic and Kristijan Jakic.
The Opta supercomputer strongly favors England, giving them a 67.2 percent chance of victory. Croatia has a 14.8 percent probability of winning, with a draw estimated at 18 percent. The match kicks off at 19:45 GMT, with Al Jazeera Sport providing build up coverage from 16:45 GMT.
This contest marks the 13th meeting between the two nations. England has won eight of these previous encounters, with two draws and three victories for Croatia. The last five meetings have seen England dominate, including a 4 2 win in the 2026 World Cup and a 1 0 victory in the 2021 European Championship.
Both teams will face their final group stage opponents on Sunday. England travel to Madrid to take on Spain, while Croatia host Czechia at home. Czechia have won only once in the group and have already been eliminated from quarterfinal contention. The outcome of Thursday’s match will largely determine the final standings in a group where the top two teams are expected to advance.
