Harry Kane became England’s most-capped player when he won his 126th cap against Croatia on Thursday, adding the appearance record to his status as his country’s leading scorer.
The 33-year-old already holds England records for appearances, goals, matches as captain, Euros appearances, caps and goals while playing for a foreign club, and goals in a calendar year.
He was not part of the 1966 World Cup-winning side, but that remains England’s only major men’s tournament success. Kane’s influence at several tournaments, combined with his statistics, has established him as one of the country’s greatest players.
There are still a number of records within reach during the rest of his international career.
Goals and the Euros
Kane is already one of four joint holders of England’s record for scoring in six consecutive appearances. He achieved the feat in 2019 and again between December 2022 and June 2023.
Steve Bloomer scored in 10 successive appearances, although England played matches in between that he did not feature in. Kane has scored in each of England’s five matches since the World Cup and will become the first player to score in seven consecutive fixtures if he finds the net against Spain on Sunday and in England’s first match of the March international break.
England will need to qualify for Euro 2028 despite being co-hosts. Kane is already older than Kyle Walker was when he became the oldest England scorer in a Euros qualifying match at 33 years and 104 days, and a goal would give Kane that record.
If selected for Euro 2028, Kane would make his fourth appearance at the tournament, moving clear of the eight players with whom he is currently level. The next Euros would also be his seventh consecutive tournament with England, surpassing his current joint record of six alongside Jordan Henderson, Sol Campbell and Wayne Rooney.
Kane would be 34 years and 317 days old when Euro 2028 begins. Peter Shilton is England’s oldest Euros player at 38, while Stuart Pearce is the oldest outfield player at 34 years and 63 days.
A goal would take Kane beyond Alan Shearer’s seven Euros goals and make him England’s leading scorer in the competition. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Michel Platini would then have scored more at the Euros overall, unless another player surpassed Kane first.
He would also become the first Englishman to score at five successive international tournaments. Michael Owen is the only other player to score at four. Any Euros goal would beat Sir Trevor Brooking’s record as England’s oldest scorer in the competition.
Kane’s best Euros return is four goals at the delayed Euro 2020 in 2021. Five goals at Euro 2028 would equal Shearer’s English record for a single tournament, set in 1996.
World Cup and longevity records
Kane has said it is “fairly realistic” he could still be playing for England at the next World Cup, although England must qualify for the 2030 tournament.
The oldest England scorer in a World Cup qualifying match is Teddy Sheringham, who was 35 years and 187 days old. Kane turns 35 in the summer of 2028 and could break that mark late in a qualifying campaign.
He has appeared for England in 12 consecutive years, including 2026. If he plays in every year through 2030, he will surpass the joint record of 15 held by David Seaman and Rio Ferdinand.
Kane is England’s leading World Cup scorer but has 18 tournament appearances, one behind Jordan Pickford’s record of 19. He is also younger than Tom Finney was when Finney became England’s oldest World Cup finals scorer, aged 36 years and 64 days, meaning Kane would break that record with a goal at the next World Cup.
Since leaving Tottenham Hotspur and the Premier League in 2023, Kane has won 41 England caps while playing abroad. His Bayern Munich contract runs until 2029, and he needs 14 more caps to equal David Beckham’s record of 55 earned outside English club football, or 15 to surpass it.
Hat-tricks and opponents
Kane’s last England hat-trick came against San Marino in November 2021. It was his fifth, with only Jimmy Greaves ahead on six. Two more would move Kane clear of Greaves; one more would at least equal him and make Kane England’s oldest hat-trick scorer, surpassing Jack Rowley’s record of 31 years and 40 days, set in 1949.
Kane has faced Croatia seven times, including Thursday’s record-breaking appearance. Alan Ball played against West Germany eight times between 1965 and 1975, the record against a single non-British opponent.
He has scored most often against Albania, with seven goals, and Croatia, with six. England meeting either side again could give Kane the opportunity to challenge Vivian Woodward’s record of eight goals against one non-British opponent, achieved against Austria between 1908 and 1909.
