England vs Croatia team news is in, and Thomas Tuchel has confirmed Harry Kane will start Thursday’s Nations League clash at Wembley — the night the captain wins a record 126th cap for his country.
The Bayern Munich striker will move past Peter Shilton’s 125 appearances, a record held since 1989, with Shilton set to honour Kane before kick-off. Kane will also present the Ballon d’Or trophy to the Wembley crowd on the same night, having been crowned the world’s best player last month. “Tomorrow, he will start for us, of course,” Tuchel said at Wednesday’s press conference. “He will start as the captain and it will be a big occasion.”
Kane’s 126th cap: the record night at Wembley
Kane is already England’s all-time leading scorer with 91 goals, passing Wayne Rooney’s mark in March 2023. He has scored 13 goals for England in 2026, including braces against Croatia in June and October, and two or more in each of his last two England games.
Another brace would make him the first player since Rooney in March 2009 to score two or more in three straight England games. Tuchel called his captain unique — a passer and an accelerator through his passing range, and still the most clinical finisher in the box. For more on the build-up to the milestone, read our record 126th cap preview.
England vs Croatia team news: Konsa and Spence ruled out
The England boss confirmed that defenders Ezri Konsa and Djed Spence will both miss the Croatia game, although he expects the pair to be available for Sunday’s trip to Spain.
Konsa, the Arsenal centre-back, picked up a knee injury in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Slavia Prague, while Inter wide man Spence is still working back to full fitness. Tuchel said both players will train individually on Friday, rejoin full team training on Saturday and be match-ready for Sunday (Hayters).
Tuchel has called up Bournemouth defender James Hill as cover — the uncapped 24-year-old is on the squad’s 55-man list. Tuchel said the Bournemouth man was desperate and excited to join the camp. Marc Guehi had already pulled out through injury on Monday, with Dan Burn called up in his place.
What England need against Croatia
England only need a point to book their place in the Nations League quarter-finals, and they will fancy their chances after thrashing the same opponents 7-0 in October. The Three Lions sit second, six points clear of Croatia and three behind leaders Spain, who they face in Madrid on Sunday.
Cole Palmer remains out of the squad, with Tuchel insisting the omission is not personal and the door always open for the Chelsea forward — a stance he set out when the Palmer snub was first confirmed. Kane was speaking at the same press conference where he backed Mauricio Pochettino for the Manchester United job, saying he can’t speak highly enough of the manager who shaped his career at Tottenham.
Thursday’s game kicks off at 7:45pm GMT (8:45pm WAT) at Wembley. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0, Bryan Berlin) — collage by SportsBuddy
