Kane matches Shilton record at Wembley

England captain Harry Kane matched Peter Shilton's all-time national appearance record on Tuesday, earning his 125th senior cap in a 3-0 victory against the Czech Republic at Wembley. The milestone came at the ground where Kane made his debut in 2015 against Lithuania, scoring 79 seconds after entering the pitch. Against the Czechs, the 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker scored twice and created the opening goal to extend his England scoring tally to 91 goals. In the 27th minute, Kane delivered a cross that forced defender Vladimir Coufal into an own goal. Kane added England's second in the 40th minute, meeting a cross from Morgan Rogers after Elliot Anderson launched the move, and headed home his second in the 57th minute.

“It was the perfect night for me personally and also the team.”

Kane was substituted in the 82nd minute to a standing ovation. Midfielder Jude Bellingham praised his teammate after the match, while Shilton, whose record had stood since 1990, released a message of congratulations.

“He is the best English player who has ever worn the shirt, and it is an honour to play with him.”

Tuchel milestone and England form

The victory took England manager Thomas Tuchel to 20 wins in 26 matches, making him the fastest manager to achieve 20 wins in England's history. Tuchel noted that the squad had moved past their 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina in North America, where England finished as bronze medallists. England have scored 14 goals across their opening four Nations League matches, rebounding from a 3-2 defeat to Spain with a 2-0 win in Prague, a 7-0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka, and Tuesday's home win over the Czechs.

“I think we played a very good match, very fluid and, to put it into context, it's the fourth match in 11 or 12 days and I think we dominated through the whole match.”

Merino double seals Spanish comeback in Split

In Split, European champions Spain preserved their 42-match unbeaten streak dating to March 2024 by defeating Croatia 2-1. Croatia took the lead in the 17th minute when Ivan Perisic headed into the bottom-left corner, marking the first time Spain conceded the opening goal since Euro 2024. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who started five Barcelona players, introduced Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino as a halftime substitute.

Merino equalised in the 61st minute, collecting a pass from Dani Olmo inside the penalty area before converting with a low left-footed shot. Croatia were reduced to 10 players in the 79th minute following a second yellow card for Perisic. Merino then scored the winner in the 88th minute with a rising shot into the roof of the net, repeating his pattern of late goals from previous tournament wins against Germany, Portugal, and Belgium.

“He understands these moments in a match so well. He's got that gift for goals and important ones, too.”

Group A3 standings and progression

Spain confirmed their qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals taking place in March, joining Portugal as the only teams to win all four group fixtures. Spain lead Group A3 with a maximum 12 points, while England hold second place with nine points. Croatia are third with three points, and the Czech Republic remain in last place with zero points after four consecutive defeats.

Spain12

England9

Croatia3

Czech Republic0

Spain

12 pts

England

9 pts

Croatia

3 pts

Czech Republic

0 pts

Data from the article text

England resume their Nations League campaign on 12 November when they host Croatia.