Harry Kane became England's most-capped men's player on Thursday, winning his 126th cap in the Nations League match against Croatia at Wembley and moving past a record that had stood for more than three decades.

The 33-year-old captain, who drew level with former goalkeeper Peter Shilton on 125 caps in October, was named in Thomas Tuchel's starting side for the game against Croatia. Shilton's record had stood since 1990, and he had held it since 1989, when he passed Bobby Moore's total of 108.

Kane, who plays his club football for Bayern Munich, was greeted with a huge roar by the Wembley crowd and was the only player featured on the cover of the matchday programme. Before kick-off he showed off the Ballon d'Or trophy he won last month, becoming the first Englishman in 25 years to win the award.

A record that stood since 1989

Shilton, now 77, was at Wembley to mark the moment. He earned his 125th cap at the 1990 World Cup at the age of 40, and he handed Kane a commemorative token before the match. The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Football Association, presented Kane with a commemorative shirt bearing the number 126.

There was also a gift from the opposition. Croatia captain Luka Modric, who played alongside Kane at Tottenham Hotspur from 2009 to 2012, presented his former team-mate with a replica of the first football brought to his country by English industrialists in 1880.

Shilton said he could think of no better successor. "Really, I couldn't think of anyone better than Harry [to take the record] not only because of his football record but also the type of person that he is. He's been a great professional and has an impeccable CV," he told FIFA.

Kane made his England debut as a substitute against Lithuania in 2015, scoring 79 seconds after coming on. He has since played under five England managers, starting with Roy Hodgson, and Tuchel has described him as the "perfect captain" and a leader by example.

Ninety-one goals and counting

Kane is already England's record goalscorer, with 91 goals — 38 more than Wayne Rooney, whose record he passed with a penalty against Italy in 2023. He became England's most-capped outfield player with his 121st cap, and he now holds the England records for major tournament appearances (36), goals at major tournaments (21), major tournament games as captain (32) and goals at Wembley (31).

His next target is a century of international goals. "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," Kane said earlier in the week. Only three male players have scored 100 international goals: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina's Lionel Messi and Iran's Ali Daei.

England finished third at the 2026 World Cup, and Kane has said that winning a major trophy with his country remains his biggest dream. For now, though, the night at Wembley belonged to a record that few expected to fall — and to a captain who has spent more than a decade rewriting England's record books.