Harry Kane Set to Make England History Against Croatia at Wembley
Harry Kane is set to become England's most-capped men's player when his country meets Croatia at Wembley on Thursday 12 November. Kick-off is at 7:45pm GMT.
Kane is on 125 appearances, level with Peter Shilton, the goalkeeper who held the record for years. The Guardian lists Wayne Rooney on 120. A single appearance tonight would give Kane sole ownership of the record. UEFA, the body that runs European football, has built its preview around the same idea, calling it "Kane poised to make England history".
The match is part of the Nations League, a competition between European national teams that runs in groups during the autumn and spring. Teams play each other home and away over several months, and the group winners and runners-up go on to finals. For England, this is a matchday five fixture in Group A3, which means it is the fifth round of games in that section.
Spain have already qualified from the group after four matches, sitting on 12 points. England are second on 9 points, with a goal difference of +11. Goal difference is the total of goals scored minus goals conceded, and it is often the tiebreaker when points are level. Croatia are third on 3 points with a goal difference of -10, and Czechia are bottom with no points.
Croatia's route to staying in the hunt is narrow. Under the head-to-head rules, which look at results between the teams that finish level, Croatia would need to beat England by at least seven goals to keep a path open. That could only come into play if England lose both of their remaining games and Croatia win both of theirs. Few teams make that kind of swing look likely, and Croatia will know it.
The two sides have met before in this campaign only through the group table, and the earlier results have shaped the picture. England beat Czechia 3-0 on 6 October, after a 2-0 win over the same opponents on 29 September. Croatia lost 1-2 to Spain on 6 October, having been beaten 4-1 by Spain on 29 September.
For England, the night carries a clear personal story. Kane has spent much of his career scoring goals for club and country, and a record of this kind is usually shared by a whole crowd. Fans at Wembley will know the moment when it comes, and they will be watching for it from the first whistle.
Whatever happens on the pitch, the result will decide little for England's group place, since they are already well placed. For Croatia, it is about pride and a slim mathematical hope. For Kane, it is a number that has stood as Shilton's for a long time, and it could change hands in a single appearance.
