Harry Kane became England's most-capped men's footballer Thursday after being named in the starting lineup against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League, earning his record-breaking 126th international cap.

The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker surpassed former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who made 125 appearances for the national team between 1970 and 1990.

Kane, who won the 2026 Ballon d'Or last month, reached the milestone at Wembley Stadium in London, where England hosted Croatia in the Nations League.

The England captain also extended his record for the most appearances as skipper, leading the national team for the 99th time.

He had previously broken the record of 90 captaincy appearances jointly held by Bobby Moore and Billy Wright.

Kane equaled Shilton's appearance record on Oct. 6, scoring twice in England's 3-0 victory over Czechia.

The striker, who made his international debut against Lithuania in March 2015, is also England's all-time leading goalscorer with 91 goals, having surpassed Wayne Rooney's previous record of 53 in March 2023.

Kane became the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the men's Ballon d'Or following an outstanding 2025-26 season with Bayern Munich.

Shilton was scheduled to lead a special pre-match presentation at Wembley to honor Kane's historic achievement.

(AA)