Kane breaks record at Wembley

Harry Kane will play his 126th match for England on Thursday at Wembley Stadium, a number that breaks the national record. Peter Shilton held the mark of 125 appearances from 1990 until this upcoming fixture. Shilton is expected to attend the game to watch Kane claim the historical milestone.

Kane, 33, will also present his Ballon d'Or trophy to the crowd before kickoff. The award ceremony adds a ceremonial element to a match with high stakes. England needs a draw against Croatia to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals.

Manager Thomas Tuchel called Kane the perfect captain and a leader who gets smarter with age. Tuchel stated that he has no plans to leave the England job before the 2028 European Championship, despite interest from major clubs. Kane, who also holds the record for most goals with 91, called the appearance milestone one of the biggest achievements of his career.

England sits second in Group A3 with nine points. Leaders Spain have 12 points. Croatia sits third and seeks redemption after a heavy loss to England last month and a recent defeat to Spain. Croatia manager Slaven Bilic said finishing third is important to keep their status in the Nations League A division.

Jobe Bellingham received his first senior call up after performing well at Borussia Dortmund. If he plays, he will join his brother Jude in the squad. This would make them the first 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.

The last meeting between these sides in Rijeka ended in a 7-0 victory for England. Kane and Bukayo Saka scored in that match, along with Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Morgan Rogers. Tuchel said the team must focus on winning to set up a favorable position for Sunday's trip to Madrid to face Spain.

England will be without Bukayo Saka due to a quadriceps issue. Marc Guehi is out with a hip injury, and Myles Lewis Skelly is suspended. Ezri Konsa and Djed Spence are expected to recover for Sunday. Declan Rice is set to return to midfield alongside Elliot Anderson. Croatia will miss Ivan Perisic, Luka Sucic, and Kristijan Jakic.

The Opta supercomputer gives England 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. This is the 13th meeting between the two nations, with England winning eight previous encounters.

Both teams face their final group stage opponents on Sunday. England travels to Madrid to play Spain, while Croatia hosts Czechia. Czechia has won only once in the group and is already eliminated from quarterfinal contention. The outcome of Thursday's match will largely determine the final standings in the group.