Kane and England celebrate during October's 7-0 win in Rijeka. Photo via England Football.
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE · GROUP A3 · ENGLAND v CROATIA · WEMBLEY · THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER
KEY STATS 📊
Harry Kane: 125 caps, level with Peter Shilton; 91 England goals, 38 more than anyone else
Kane in 2026: 13 England goals, four of them in two braces against Croatia
Group A3: Spain 12 points, England 9 (W3 L1); a draw sends England to the quarter-finals
Last meeting: England 7, Croatia 0 in Rijeka in October
Croatia form: three straight defeats in all competitions, 13 goals conceded
Out for England: Konsa, Guehi, Maguire, Stones, Chalobah, Lewis-Skelly
THE STORY 🗞️
Harry Kane only has to walk onto the Wembley pitch on Thursday night to make England history.
The captain sits on 125 caps, level with Peter Shilton. His next appearance, against Croatia in the Nations League, makes him England's most-capped men's player outright, according to England Football. He is expected to start.
He arrives in form that matches the moment. Kane has 91 England goals, 38 more than anyone else, and 13 of them have come in 2026. Only one England player has scored more in a calendar year: Kane himself, with 16 in 2021. Four of this year's goals came in braces against Croatia, in June and again in October.
A back line held together with call-ups
The squad Thomas Tuchel takes into the game looks thinner than the one he named. Marc Guehi withdrew with a hip injury picked up in Manchester City's loss to Nottingham Forest, and Dan Burn replaced him on Monday.
On Tuesday, England ruled out Ezri Konsa and called up Bournemouth's James Hill for the first time. Hill, 24, has played every minute of Bournemouth's Premier League season, Sports Mole noted. Harry Maguire, John Stones, Trevoh Chalobah and Myles Lewis-Skelly are also missing.
"Ezri Konsa will not be in contention for Croatia at Wembley on Thursday as he continues to follow his own programme but will return to full training later this week before Sunday's trip to Spain."
England statement, via Sports Mole
Tuchel still has Ben White, Jarell Quansah and Jarrad Branthwaite to go with Hill and Burn in the middle. Sports Mole expects Quansah and Branthwaite to get the nod.
What England need
Not much. England have nine points from four games, three behind Spain, and a draw at Wembley seals a quarter-final spot. A win would likely set up Sunday's trip to Madrid as a straight fight for top spot, The Standard wrote.
Croatia come in reeling. Slaven Bilic's side have lost three straight in all competitions and conceded 13 goals in that run, and they have never lost four in a row. Their only win in five visits to England was a 3-2 at Wembley in November 2007, in Bilic's first spell in charge.
OUR TAKE 🐶
The record is a formality. The more useful thing to watch is the back line, because Tuchel is a few injuries from fielding a centre-back pairing that has barely played together.
Against a Croatia side that just shipped seven to this team, that should be survivable. Spain on Sunday is the real test of how deep this defence goes.
THE BETTING ANGLE 🎯
For our analysts' takes, follow DawgHousePicks.
What to watch: Kane has scored twice in each of his last two games against Croatia. The other number to track is who starts at centre-back. No pick.
UP NEXT: England v Croatia, Thursday 12 November, Wembley. Then Spain v England in Madrid on Sunday 15 November.
HOW TO WATCH 📺: 2:45 PM ET / 1:45 PM CT. US: Fubo (English), ViX (Spanish). UK: 7:45 PM, ITV1 and ITVX.
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Who should partner Branthwaite at the back? Let us know below.
Sources
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