Harry Kane believes England’s emphatic 7-0 victory over Croatia has sent a clear warning to their European rivals as Thomas Tuchel’s side continue building towards Euro 2028.
England produced their biggest win under Tuchel in Rijeka on Saturday, with Kane and Bukayo Saka both scoring twice. Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers also found the net as Croatia suffered their heaviest defeat.
For Kane, the performance was about more than simply securing another victory. The England captain believes the manner of the win demonstrated the attacking mentality the team must maintain against stronger opposition.
“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.
The Bayern Munich striker said England must become more relentless, particularly in major tournaments, rather than changing their approach depending on the situation.
“You get four, you want five. You go and have a really hungry mentality,” he added.
Kane’s comments appeared to underline the lessons England have taken from their previous tournament disappointments. Their 7-0 display against Croatia was a sharp contrast to the defensive approach adopted during the closing stages of their World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina in July.
The result also made an impression beyond England’s dressing room. Kane said beating an established European side so convincingly could influence how their rivals view Tuchel’s team.
“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,” he said.
“And it’s always just sending messages – not just to yourself, but to the other teams around Europe. I think we’ve done that again.”
England’s captain also pointed to the squad’s youth and current form as reasons for optimism, saying the players are hungry and increasingly confident.
Kane now has another milestone within reach. The 33-year-old has scored 89 goals in 124 appearances for England and is set to equal Peter Shilton’s record of 125 caps when England face the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday.
He is also just 11 goals away from becoming the first England men’s player to reach a century of international goals.
“100 goals is a nice round number and it would be incredible to reach,” Kane said.
