KINSMC
England beat Croatia 2–1 at Wembley on Thursday, November 12, 2026, to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with a group game to spare. Harry Kane scored the winning penalty on the night he overtook Peter Shilton to become the England men’s team’s most-capped player. The England Football match report and UEFA’s Matchday 5 recap both carried the result on November 12.
How England regained the lead
Morgan Rogers put England ahead in the first half after Jude Bellingham played the ball across goal. Kane had helped open the move with a diagonal cross to Bellingham. Croatia found its equaliser in the second half when Petar Sučić reacted first to a loose ball after a corner. That brought the visitors level just as England looked to build on its first-half advantage.
Five minutes after the equaliser, England led again. England Football says a VAR review led referee Morten Krogh to award a penalty after Ivan Smolčić brought down Jarell Quansah. Kane sent the spot kick down the middle. The closing stretch still demanded work from England. UEFA noted a narrowly missed chance for Nikola Vlašić, and the hosts needed to protect a one-goal margin through stoppage time.
The timing matters for understanding the result. Croatia’s equaliser gave it a chance to build on a level game. England recovered the lead quickly, then had to defend it. Those are two separate parts of how the three points were won. The penalty broke the tie, and the final whistle made the qualification consequences official.
What the result means for Group A3
England had nine points before kickoff and moved to 12. Spain beat Czechia 2–0 on the same evening and stayed ahead on 15. Croatia remained on three points and Czechia on zero. Those totals follow from the official results for each team. Each side has one group fixture left. Even with a win in its final game, Croatia can reach only six points, so it can no longer catch England.
Under the 2026–27 Nations League format, the top two teams in each League A group go through to the quarter-finals. That is why England’s place is secure even though Spain still leads the group. The three points at Wembley answered the qualification question ahead of the last round. The final order of the two qualifiers is still to be settled.
UEFA lists Spain against England and Croatia against Czechia on Sunday, November 15. The Spain game is the remaining chance for England to draw level on points with the group leader. The group table after both games will show the final order, and the knockout draw will establish the quarter-final matchups. The ties are scheduled for March 2027.
Why Kane’s appearance counts separately from his goal
Kane earned his 126th senior men’s cap by playing in the match. That was enough to move him past Shilton’s record of 125 appearances. The goal came later and settled the result. Keeping the milestones separate makes the night easier to read. The team selection put Kane in position to make appearance history, and the penalty made that appearance decisive for the group campaign. If you want to see how selection becomes an appearance in the first place, read our guide to what a squad call-up and a debut tell you about the team sheet.
For readers following the Nations League from one matchday to the next, there are three dates to keep in view. November 12 is when England qualified. November 15 completes its group fixtures. March is when the quarter-finals are scheduled to be played. Wembley settled the first of those questions, and England’s result in Spain will help settle the second.