Harry Kane will carry the Ballon d’Or onto the Wembley turf before kick-off and leave the pitch as England’s most-capped footballer of all time.
The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker starts against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League at 7.45pm local time, his 126th senior England appearance. That takes him one clear of Peter Shilton, whose record of 125 caps had stood since the goalkeeper’s final appearance at the 1990 World Cup.
England already held the scoring record in Kane’s name. He overtook Wayne Rooney’s 53 in 2023 and his international tally now stands at 91 goals. Reaching the appearance record in the same autumn he won the Ballon d’Or makes for one of the most concentrated runs of individual milestones English football has seen.
Kane collected the Ballon d’Or in Paris in October, the first English winner of the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Read also: Newcastle manager warned he could be sacked by christmas as replacement plans emerge
Kane calls it a testament to dedication
Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the match, Kane framed the appearance record as among the most meaningful numbers of his career.
“It’s a testament to all the dedication and the time people don’t see that keeps me fit,” he told reporters, according to AFP.
He had not previously crossed paths with the goalkeeper he is about to overtake.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met Peter Shilton before,” Kane said in comments reported by the Press Association.
Read also: Littler stunned to find Sherrock on Netflix darts show before £501,000 jackpot win
Shilton played across four World Cups
Shilton won his 125 caps over two decades between 1970 and 1990, keeping goal at four World Cups in that stretch and bowing out at the Italia ’90 semi-final defeat to West Germany.
Kane has reached and now passed that figure in roughly a decade of senior international football, in an era where the Nations League has added group-stage and knockout fixtures to the traditional World Cup and European Championship cycle.
Thomas Tuchel, who took charge of England in January 2025 and led the side to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, confirmed on Wednesday that Kane will start and captain the side.
“He is up there, of course. It’s now proven,” Tuchel said of his captain, via AFP.
Read also: PSG force Dortmund’s hand in a race to extend Gregor Kobel
100 England goals the next target
Kane has already set his sights on reaching 100 goals for England, a mark that would push the scoring record further beyond his successors’ reach.
England need a point against Croatia to mathematically confirm a place in the Nations League quarter-finals, according to beIN Sports. They finish the group away to Spain on Sunday.
Read also: One win away: Aaron Rodgers closing in on Drew Brees’ all-time NFL victories record
