England delivered a dominant performance in the UEFA Nations League with a 7-0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka on Saturday, marking the largest win under manager Thomas Tuchel’s leadership. The attacking display featured a double from Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and two goals from Bukayo Saka, with additional strikes contributed by Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Morgan Rogers.

Kane, who now has 89 goals in 124 international appearances, described the emphatic win as a clear message to European rivals as England prepares to co-host Euro 2028. The forward emphasized the importance of maintaining an aggressive, relentless approach throughout matches, contrasting markedly with the team’s cautious tactics during the closing stages of their recent World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.

“Even when we were 1-0 up, we went for two, went for three, went for four, and that’s got to be our mentality,” Kane said, highlighting the need for consistency in England’s style of play, especially in high-stakes tournaments. “It’s non-stop. You get four, you want five. You have to keep that hungry mentality.”

The scale of the victory also represented Croatia’s heaviest ever defeat, showcasing England’s pace, precision, and offensive fluidity that were absent in the World Cup’s final phases. Kane noted the strength of the opposition and the significance of the result, stressing that the team’s youthful core and current form raise expectations for the future.

“We’re playing against a really good side. We can’t take this type of win for granted because it could have been a really tricky game for us,” Kane acknowledged. “But it’s always about sending messages, not just to yourself but to other teams around Europe.”

Looking ahead, Kane is poised to equal Peter Shilton’s record as England’s most-capped male player with 125 appearances during the team’s upcoming match against the Czech Republic at Wembley. The 33-year-old striker also has his sights set on reaching 100 international goals, a milestone he described as “incredible” and increasingly within reach.

“It’s coming. It’s 89 now, so it’s getting closer and closer,” Kane said. “We have a special game on Tuesday in terms of the caps, and 100 goals would be a nice round number to achieve.”