Officially... Kane breaks the English record with his 126th international match

Harry Kane became the England national team's most capped player after playing his 126th match on Thursday with the start of his country's match against Croatia at Wembley Stadium in London in the fifth round of the third group competitions within the first level of the European Nations League competition.

Kane (33 years old), who is playing his first international match since winning the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world this year, surpassed the number he shared with former goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

A huge banner was raised before the start of the match bearing a picture of Kane and the phrase “The Best in England.”

The German coach of the England national team, Thomas Tuchel, told ITV: “There is no secret. It's character, talent, hard work, dedication and focus. Complete package.

He added: “He is usually not the loudest voice in the dressing room, but he is still our leader, and he still carries the captaincy.”

Last month, the German Bayern Munich striker was crowned the best footballer in the world, ahead of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Spaniard Lamine Yamal, and became the first Englishman to achieve this achievement in 25 years.

The former Tottenham player played his first international match in 2015, and scored a record 91 goals with the England national team, including six goals in the first four matches of his campaign in the European Nations League this season.

Harry Kane, captain of the England national team, celebrated winning the Ballon d'Or award and breaking the record for the number of international matches with his country, after he went out with his team to Wembley Stadium before facing Croatia in the European Nations League.

Kane, who became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen won it in 2001, reached the 126th international match to become the player who played the most international matches with the England national team, surpassing the record of the famous goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who played 125 international matches.

Kane equaled Shilton's record against the Czechs last month in the European Nations League, and he is also the all-time top scorer for the English national team with 91 goals.

Kane received cheers from the crowds gathered at Wembley Stadium, and was honored by Prince William, the British Crown Prince, as well as Peter Shilton, the former goalkeeper of the England national team, who held the previous record of 125 international matches.

Croatian star Luka Modric, who was on the bench with his team, was also keen to honor Harry Kane before the kick-off whistle at Wembley Stadium in the fifth round of the European Nations League.

The Argentine Football Association has extended the contract of its national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, until the 2030 World Cup finals, the local federation announced Thursday.

The announcement of the renewal of Scaloni's contract came during a press conference held by the President of the Argentine Federation, Claudio Tapia, in the presence of the 48-year-old coach, who shed tears due to the event.

Tapia said that Scaloni, who led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and to the final of this year's edition in North America, will become the Argentine coach most participating in the World Cup finals when his contract expires.

In turn, Scaloni assured reporters that he feels the same enthusiasm that accompanied him “on the first day” of assuming the mission.

He said: “A new project begins now,” a month after Lionel Messi, the most prominent star in the national team for 20 years, announced his retirement from international football.

Scaloni raised doubts about his future with the national team after Argentina lost to Spain 0-1 in the World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey, and witnessed a tense atmosphere and great tension.

Scaloni has been coaching the Argentine national team for 8 years, specifically since September 2018, following the disappointing campaign in the World Cup in Russia, where Argentina exited the tournament in the round of 16.

Scaloni took on one of the most prominent tasks in the world of football, without any previous experience in the field of coaching, but he succeeded in building a team that many consider the best in the history of Argentine football.

In addition to the 2022 World Cup title, he led Argentina to win two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.

His next mission is to lead the national team towards a new stage, in the absence of its most prominent star, Messi, 39 years old, who has been its main pillar for many years.

Scaloni said after losing to Spain in the final: “What must remain is the spirit of the team, and this feeling of unity between the players and the people.”