A night of milestones at Wembley

When England walked out at Wembley on 12 November 2026 for their UEFA Nations League Group A3 clash with Croatia, the fixture carried the weight of a quarter-final decider and the pageantry of a coronation. Harry Kane, 33, started his 126th match for the men's senior team, moving one clear of Peter Shilton's 35-year-old record. Before kick-off, the Prince of Wales and Shilton himself presented Kane with a commemorative shirt and a plaque, while a giant banner unfurled behind the goal celebrated the new record-holder. Seventeen days after collecting the Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium — the first Englishman to win it since Michael Owen in 2001 — Kane paraded the golden trophy around the Wembley pitch, flanked by his teammates and acknowledged by opposite number Luka Modrić, the 2018 winner, who handed him a gift from the Croatian federation.

Group stakes and a much-changed England

Beneath the ceremony, the points mattered. England entered the night second in Group A3 with nine points from four games, one behind Spain and one win away from guaranteeing a quarter-final berth. A 7-0 demolition of Croatia in Rijeka the previous month had swung goal difference decisively in England's favour, but Thomas Tuchel's side arrived at Wembley with a defensive crisis. Marc Guéhi (hip), Ezri Konsa (knee), Djed Spence, Myles Lewis-Skelly (suspended), Bukayo Saka (quad) and Marcus Rashford (hip) were all unavailable, prompting late call-ups for 34-year-old Dan Burn and uncapped James Hill. Tuchel opted to start Dan Burn in defence, with live reports noting the selection choice over Jarrad Branthwaite as the manager navigated his squad absences.

Croatia reeling, Modrić enduring

Croatia's situation was bleak. Slaven Bilić's side sat third with three points, smarting from that 7-0 loss and a run of three straight defeats conceding 13 goals. Ivan Perišić was suspended after his red card against Spain; centre-backs Josip Šutalo and Marin Pongračić were injured, as were midfielder Kristijan Jakić and forwards Andrej Kramarić and Franjo Ivanović. Yet Luka Modrić, 41, started in midfield, his presence a reminder of the generation that has defined Croatian football for nearly two decades. The visitors' predicted 4-2-3-1 leaned heavily on Modrić, Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol to stabilise a makeshift back line.

First half: Rogers breaks the deadlock

The match kicked off at 19:45 GMT under Danish referee Morten Krogh. Croatia began brightly, holding possession in England's half for the opening ten minutes, but the home side gradually asserted control. Elliot Anderson tested Dominik Livaković early with two shots. In the 23rd minute, Morgan Rogers bundled the ball home from close range after confusion in the Croatian defence, giving England a 1-0 lead. By the half-hour mark England were camped in Croatia's half, Kane orchestrating play as the deepest-lying attacker, while the visitors dropped deeper, unable to construct counter-attacks. The half ended with England dominant but the tie alive.

Broadcast and betting context

The fixture was shown free-to-air on ITV1 (STV in Scotland) and streamed on ITVX, ensuring wide domestic access to the historic night. Betting markets reflected England's dominance: talkSPORT's bet builder at 23/5 combined both teams to score, Anthony Gordon to score, and Luka Vušković to commit a foul — the latter a nod to the 19-year-old Brighton defender's disciplinary record (22 fouls in his last 20 domestic games) and the expectation of sustained English pressure.

What comes next

England's final group game is away to Spain on Sunday, a match that will likely decide the group winner. Croatia host Czechia needing a result to avoid relegation. For Kane, the records keep accumulating: 91 goals, 98 captaincies, a Ballon d'Or, and now the appearance record. Tuchel's programme notes captured the mood: It's the perfect place to celebrate Harry Kane and his recent achievements... the scary thing is, he is getting better and better. Whether the much-changed defence can hold against Spain will test the depth Tuchel has been forced to explore.