Harry Kane Follows Ballon d’Or Triumph With Exceptional England Milestone

England boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed Harry Kane will get the nod in Thursday’s clash with Croatia at Wembley Stadium, crowning the captain as the Three Lions’ record appearance holder.

It’s been a fairytale few weeks for Kane—if you ignore that missed penalty against Borussia Dortmund. The striker beat out Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, inked a contract extension with Bayern Munich and now finds himself with another outstanding England record to his name.

Kane, who made his senior debut for the national team back in March 2015, will earn his 126th cap for the Three Lions, breaking his tie with the legendary Peter Shilton to stand alone atop his country’s history books.

“He will start as a captain, and it is a big occasion to present the Ballon d’Or trophy to our fans and bring it to the country, and have it embedded in the same day where he gets his all-time record for 126 matches, it’s just a beautiful, beautiful occasion,” Tuchel said in his prematch press conference on Wednesday.

“On top of it, it’s a match that matters, so it’s not a friendly. It’s a Nations League match, and it’s a match that matters a lot to us. It is on Harry to digest it as quickly as possible. There will be a lot of praise, a lot emotions before the kick off, and then we need him in best shape to win the match for us.”

England’s Record Appearance Holders

Peter Shilton, Harry Kane — Harry Kane went level with Peter Shilton back in October. | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Rank	Player	Appearances
T-1.	Peter Shilton	125
T-1.	Harry Kane	125*
3.	Wayne Rooney	120
4.	David Beckham	115
5.	Steven Gerrard	114
6.	Bobby Moore	108
7.	Ashley Cole	107
T-8.	Bobby Charlton	106
T-8.	Frank Lampard	106
10.	Billy Wright	105

*Kane will break the record on Thursday against Croatia with his 126th cap.

Over the last decade, Kane has passed over some of the greatest players to ever represent England. Looking back, it was poetic and seemingly predestined that he replaced the legendary Wayne Rooney when he made his debut against Lithuania 11 years ago.

Not only has Kane passed over the Manchester United icon in appearances, but he also climbed above the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham along the way. The only player left is Shilton, who will drop down the list come Thursday.

The former goalkeeper made his debut against East Germany in November 1970 and went on to represent England for 20 years. He featured in five major tournaments, including the 1982, 1986 and 1990 World Cups, before he retired following the latter.

Shilton’s record stood for over 30 years, but Kane will own it now.

Kane: ‘One of the Biggest Milestones of My Career’

Harry Kane is eyeing another England record. | Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

The always humble Kane typically avoids talking about his own accomplishments; the 33-year-old was notably tight-lipped in the build-up to the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony while Mbappé and Yamal went on media tours, boasting how they should win the award.

On Wednesday, though, Kane couldn’t help but reveal just how big a deal his impending record is after such a long journey on the international stage. “Any great player wants to be able to perform year on year,” he said in his pregame press conference.

“To reach the number of caps that I have is a testament to all the stuff behind the scenes; all the dedication, all the time that maybe people don’t see that keeps me fit and healthy. For sure, I think that will be one of the biggest milestones in my career.”

There could be another milestone on the horizon for Kane as well. The Bayern Munich star currently has 91 international goals to his name, and he’s eyeing the century mark.

“I don’t like to put limits on anything,” Kane said. “We spoke in the last camp about the 100 goals for England. I think that’s another incredible milestone to try and reach as soon as possible. I’m feeling really, really good. So hopefully there’s many more years to see what else I can achieve.”

Individual achievements aside, Kane will also hope to lead the England men’s national team to its first major trophy since 1966 before he hangs up his boots. The Three Lions finished as the runners-up at the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, and settled for third place at the 2026 World Cup.

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