England beats Croatia to secure quarter-final berth as Kane extends scoring record

UPDATE - follow-up to England v Croatia: Nations League – live: England defeated Croatia 2-1 to confirm their spot in the Nations League quarter-finals, secured by Harry Kane scoring his 92nd international goal from a penalty. The victory marks England's third win against Croatia this calendar year and sets up a crucial group-deciding match against Spain on Sunday.

Match Action

Kane reached a landmark 126th cap and converted a 65th-minute penalty after VAR penalised Hrvoje Smolčić for holding Jarell Quansah's shirt inside the box. Despite controlling large portions of the match, England survived a frantic late flurry from Croatia. Substitute Ante Budimir missed a close-range header and had another shot deflected wide by Quansah during four minutes of stoppage time, while Dan Burn also went close for England with a header.

Manager and Player Reaction

England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted to ITV that it was hard work and his team forgot to score a third goal, but praised the players for getting the job done on a special occasion for Kane. Kane acknowledged that his team gave away too many easy balls and noted he bounced back after missing his last penalty for Bayern Munich. Luka Modrić came off the bench to win his 207th cap for Croatia, receiving a warm reception from the Wembley crowd.

Group Standings

Spain defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 with late goals from Álex Baena and Marc Pubill. Spain currently leads Group A3 with 15 points from five games, while England sits second with 12 points, holding a goal difference of plus 12 compared to Spain's plus 9.

Context

Teams in the UEFA Nations League compete in groups during the autumn months to determine promotion, relegation, and qualification for the tournament finals. Group winners advance directly while carrying points and goal difference implications into their final fixtures.