Harry Kane picked the right night to score twice. On the evening he drew level with Peter Shilton's record of 125 England caps, the captain scored in each half at Wembley as England beat the Czech Republic 3-0 in the UEFA Nations League, taking his tally for his country to 91 goals.
Coufal's own goal and Kane's first
England had to wait until the 27th minute for the opening goal, and it owed a good deal to their captain without him touching the ball in the net. Kane's cross was turned into his own goal by Vladimir Coufal, the former West Ham defender, in a moment BBC Sport's Phil McNulty called inexplicable. The goal the crowd wanted arrived five minutes before the interval. Morgan Rogers delivered an excellent first-time ball and Kane finished from close range to make it 2-0.
A header from the far post
The third came 12 minutes after the restart. Lewis Hall swung over a corner and Kane rose at the far post to head it in, his second of the night and the goal that stretched England's lead beyond doubt. He left the pitch late on to a standing ovation, replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Thomas Tuchel's side were comfortable throughout. England had 64.4 per cent of possession, 17 shots to the Czech Republic's five, 608 passes at 91.1 per cent accuracy, and 39 touches in the Czech box to seven. England also hit the woodwork once, while the Czech Republic managed no shots on target. It followed a win over the same opponents in Prague and the 7-0 victory in Croatia, so Tuchel has seen his team score freely in successive Nations League windows.
Kane and the road to 100
The numbers around Kane are what stay in the memory. With 91 goals he is England's record scorer, and BBC Sport says he is now firmly on course to become the first England player to reach 100. Equalling Shilton's appearance record, and doing it with two goals, makes for a tidy evening. The next cap will put him alone at the top of that list.
England started with Jordan Pickford in goal, a back line of Hall, Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and a midfield and attack including Myles Lewis-Skelly, Elliot Anderson, Eberechi Eze, Jude Bellingham, Rogers and Kane. Alexander-Arnold's return to the starting XI was one of the talking points before kick-off.
Match facts: England 3-0 Czech Republic, UEFA Nations League, League A, Group 3, Wembley Stadium, Tuesday 6 October 2026. Half-time: England 2-0. Goals per BBC Sport: V. Coufal 27' (own goal), H. Kane 40' (assist M. Rogers), H. Kane 57' (assist L. Hall). Possession 64.4%-35.6%; shots 17-5; on target 3-0; corners 6-3.
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