England vs Croatia - UEFA Nations League RECAP: Reaction as Harry Kane scores winner after earning record 126th cap

By LUKE POWER, SPORTS REPORTER and LEWIS BROWNING, SPORTS REPORTER

Updated: 23:01 GMT, 12 November 2026

Re-live Daily Mail Sport's live blog as England hosted Croatia at Wembley in the Nations League. 

Goodbye for now!

Right then, it's time to say goodbye. Thanks for your company throughout!

I'll leave you with how England's group is now looking, with the team securing qualification for the quarters tonight.

Sunday will decide who tops the group - with the idea that the winner will essentially get an easier draw.

But it was three points for the Three Lions tonight - on a night that belonged to Harry Kane in more ways than one.

Good night!

Rogers: 'Palmer wants to be here'

Morgan Rogers, England midfielder, BBC 5 Live:

It’s a lie. He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has done. People just see it as news and say the easy thing.

We all know he had a difficult year last year with injuries and I know personally he’s been managing them injuries ever since. He was in quite a low place with his injuries last year and didn’t feel 100 per cent himself on the pitch, so he wants to be here and he wants to be the best version of himself. Of course he does, who wouldn’t? But he also has to look at his body.

He wants to play for 10/15 years, he also has to manage himself. If he has to manage himself in the short term for the greater good then he has to do that and you have to fully support it. It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It’s a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England. You see the joy and smile on his face, how much he loves the game, so I honestly don’t get it and he doesn’t get it.

But it’s something he has to deal with but I can assure you he wants to be here and he wants to play for his country. What a player he is. What a person he is and it’s someone you want to see in an England shirt. He’s got so much quality, so much ability. We all know what we can do, what he’s done, so of course we want to see him in an England shirt and hopefully sooner rather than later.

Kane: 'It's not sunk in'

Harry Kane, England captain:

I don't know if I've taken it all in fully. The reception I've had has been overwhelming. The speech itself was a moment to thank a lot of people who have been important, family and coaches.

But I don't know if any of it has sunk in. Maybe in the winter break with a couple of weeks off I'll be on a beach reflecting on everything I have achieved.

These are the biggest in my career, without a doubt. Whether I can in my career, I'm not sure because I'm so focused on the next thing.

It's about Sunday, then it's about club football again.

Kane: 'Thank you to everyone'

Harry Kane, England captain:

It was incredible. Everything was amazing. Thank you to everyone who organised with the tifo and presentations. Thank you to Luka and Croatia for their gift.

I knew there would be something before the game. It's been a crazy few weeks with a lot happening, but it's an important moment in our history as a national team.

But once the game started it was full focus. These occasions feel much better when you win and now I can take a breath and enjoy this.

England player ratings

Do you agree with Craig Hope's ratings from tonight's game?

Have a read below and let me know what you think!

A little harsh on one or two players, for my money...

OLIVER HOLT at Wembley

A fantastic read here from Oliver Holt on tonight't events.

A tribute to Kane, an assessment of England's current predicament, and a look forward to Sunday. What more could you ask for?

Well worth a read. You can do that by clicking below.

Rogers: 'We need to look at the negatives'

Morgan Rogers, England midfielder, ITV:

Harry scores as he always does, not much is new, a lovely night for him and his family and for us to be on the pitch with him is a special honour.

Credit to him, he treated it like every game. He is relentless, that's why he is the Ballon d'Or winner. His mindset and work rate, he doesn't get there by accident.

The performance was tough. There are things we want to focus on. They played differently to how we thought, we knew it wouldn't be an easy game and we had to dig deep and we did, so we can be positive, but we need to look at the negatives and keep working too.

England's back four woes

England haven't really had the most prominent of names at centre back of late, but you could argue that no one that played tonight is first choice.

Reece James is surely Tuchel's preferred right back over Trent, and Nico O'Reilly would certainly give Lewis Hall a run for his money on the left. They are both injured.

At centre back, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi were first choice at the World Cup and both missed tonight through injury. We think Konsa will be fine for Spain.

Quansah and Burn did fine, but it's probably not a partnership that's going to get you to the level you want.

Why fans boo White

Ben White was booed again when he entered the field of play today.

If you don't know he reason - it's basically because he walked out on the squad during the 2022 World Cup after a falling out with then-assistant manager Steve Holland.

White spoke this week about how he's never told the whole story. I'm not sure fans will totally get over what happened until he does - if he ever does.

You can read more by clicking below.

Green: 'England need to improve'

Robert Green, former England goalkeeper, BBC 5 Live:

England will go to Spain and will need to really improve the intensity. We have got to go at it in a completely different manner to tonight. It's going to be such a big ask to go there and beat the world champions in their own back yard.

They will have to put on a markedly improved performance than that. Maybe that was already on the players' minds before tonight's game.

WATCH: Sucic pounces on error

And here's Sucic's goal, which came from an error from Jarell Quansah.

Quansah was really good before and after this, and won a penalty just after it too. But a real brain fade here. No idea what he was doing.

Here's the goal.

WATCH: Rogers fires England ahead

Here's England's first goal of the night, which was finished by Morgan Rogers.

I thought he did well off the right today. But it was a great cross from Bellingham and a scrumptious pass from Kane before that.

Those two didn't have great games, in all honesty. But popping up when it matters is what they do.