Harry Kane will win his record-breaking 126th England cap against Croatia, Thomas Tuchel has confirmed, with the Three Lions' boss anticipating a "beautiful occasion".

Kane's next England outing will see him write his name into the record books, as he surpasses Peter Shilton (125) outright as his country's all-time leading appearance-maker.

The Bayern Munich striker has long been England's all-time leading scorer, having surpassed Wayne Rooney's record in March 2023, reaching 91 international goals since then.

And Kane's landmark appearance will come on home soil at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, on the same night that he presents the Ballon d'Or trophy to the Three Lions' fans, having been crowned the world's best player last month.

Asked by reporters if Kane was England's greatest-ever player, Tuchel said: "I don't know, but he is up there, of course. It's now proven, and it's nice when things are proven in sports. 

"He has his collection of prizes, he has his records, and he will build on these records, he will score more goals for us and get more games. 

"Tomorrow, he will start for us, of course. He will start as the captain and it will be a big occasion, to present the Ballon d'Or trophy, to bring it to the country.

"And to have that embedded in the same day where he gets his all-time record… it will be a beautiful occasion."

“A beautiful, beautiful occasion.”  #ThreeLions skipper @HKane is set to make history at @wembleystadium  https://t.co/pqH91IidZ7

— England (@England) November 11, 2026

Kane has scored 13 goals for England in 2026, with only Kane himself in 2021 scoring more in a single calendar year for the Three Lions (16). 

Four of those goals came as braces against Croatia (two in June, two in October) with no England player ever scoring multiple goals in three straight games against a single opponent.

Kane has also netted braces in his last two appearances for England overall (versus Croatia and Czechia), meaning he could become the first player since Wayne Rooney, in March 2009, to net two or more goals in three consecutive games for the Three Lions.

But Tuchel feels Kane's playmaking ability is what sets him apart from every other striker on the planet.

Asked if any other player could do what Kane does, Tuchel said: "Maybe not at the moment. Everyone plays differently.

"On the very highest level, Lionel Messi developed a completely new style of number nine at Barcelona and dropped everywhere. 

"But he was more of a dribbler and accelerator from these spaces, Harry is more a passer and an accelerator through his passing range. 

"Everyone is different. Harry is quite unique in the way he does it. That's not the only thing; he's also in and around the box, and you still want the ball to drop to him if it's a one or two-touch finish. He's the one who is clinical and finishes on the very highest level. 

"That's why he got the biggest individual award in the game, because he's a unique player at the moment."

England only need a point against Croatia to secure their place in the Nations League quarter-finals, and they could still top Group A3, with a trip to Spain to come on Sunday.