Harry Kane believes England’s ruthless 7-0 demolition of Croatia sends an unmistakable warning to every major European contender.
The Bayern Munich forward struck twice in Rijeka as Thomas Tuchel’s squad produced the most lopsided victory of his tenure. Bukayo Saka matched Kane’s brace, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers each added goals in a performance that shattered Croatia’s previous record for heaviest defeat.
For Kane, the scoreline represented far more than three Nations League points. It showcased a tactical blueprint England intend to carry into Euro 2028, which they will co-host.
The attacking onslaught looked nothing like the cautious approach England adopted late in their World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina in July. Tuchel faced criticism for that defensive posture. Saturday told a different story.
“Even when we were 1-0 up, we went for two, went for three, went for four, and that has to be our mentality,” Kane declared. “When you have a certain style of playing, you can’t just pick and choose when you want to do it. It’s just relentless. It’s non-stop.”
Kane, who now has 89 goals in 124 international appearances, stressed that hunger must define this squad moving forward. “You get four, you want five,” he said. “That needed to change, especially in the bigger games, in the bigger tournaments.”
Meanwhile, England’s pace and movement overwhelmed a Croatian side long regarded as one of Europe’s most disciplined outfits. As a result, Kane expects rival nations to take notice.
“We’re playing against a really good side,” he noted. “We can’t take this type of win for granted because it could have been a really tricky game for us. It’s always about sending messages, not just to yourself, but to the other teams around Europe.”
Kane turns his attention next to Wembley, where England host Czech Republic on Tuesday. That match will see him equal Peter Shilton’s record of 125 caps, making him the joint most-capped player in England history.
The 33-year-old also sits just 11 goals shy of the 100-goal mark for his country. “It’s coming,” Kane said. “89 now, so obviously it’s getting closer and closer. One hundred goals is a nice round number and it would be incredible to reach.”
