England Reach Nations League Quarters as Italy Beat France
England reached the Nations League quarters with a 2-1 win over Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, as Harry Kane marked his record 126th cap with the winning goal from the penalty spot. Italy beat France 3-1 in Milan, handing Zinedine Zidane his first defeat as France coach.
Morgan Rogers put England ahead in the first half. A mistake by Jarell Quansah then let Petar Sucic equalise for Croatia on the hour mark. England won the game when Ivan Smolcic wrestled Quansah to the ground at a corner, and Kane converted the penalty after a VAR review. The goal took his international tally to 92.
“Good win. We wanted this win desperately, and I think we deserved it,” England coach Thomas Tuchel told ITV. “We got the job done, and it was important because it was a special occasion for Harry and he scored the winner, so a perfect evening.”
The win moved England to 12 points from five matches in Group A3, enough to secure a place in the quarter-finals next March. Spain lead the group on 15 points after a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague, their fifth straight victory in the competition. Alex Baena scored from the penalty spot and Marc Pubill added a late goal, stretching Spain’s unbeaten run to 44 matches. The Czechs remain without a point and finished with 10 men after captain Ladislav Krejci was sent off.
Kane marks record night with the winner
Kane’s 126th appearance made him England’s outright record appearance holder, and he marked the night with his 92nd international goal. Kane signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich until 2029, and he remains central to Tuchel’s plans as England build towards the knockout rounds.
Jobe Bellingham earned an England call-up for this international window, and the squad will travel to Madrid on Sunday, where the meeting with Spain will decide who finishes top of Group A3. Spain won their game even without Lamine Yamal, who missed the Czechia match through injury, which shows the strength of the side England must beat to finish first.
Italy come from behind to beat France
In Milan, France were without Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele through injury, but Michael Olise still fired them ahead after 10 minutes, pouncing on a loose pass from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Francesco Pio Esposito levelled for Italy from Nicolo Cambiaghi’s pass, before France twice hit the post through Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki.
Italy missed a chance to go ahead when Sebastiano Esposito blazed a second-half penalty wide. Mancini’s side did not let that miss cost them. Davide Frattesi powered home Federico Dimarco’s cut-back, and Francesco Pio Esposito scored his second of the night from the penalty spot after Dayot Upamecano fouled substitute Antonio Vergara.
Zidane named his France squad for this international window with several new faces, but his first defeat in charge leaves France needing a result at home to Turkiye on Sunday. The loss was also the first points Zidane’s side had dropped since a 1-1 draw with Italy in October.
Nations League quarters race goes to the final day
Italy moved above France at the top of Group A1 on head-to-head record. Both sides have 10 points going into the final round, with Belgium one point behind. Belgium host Italy on Sunday, while France are at home to Turkiye.
Italy had not beaten France at home since May 1962, which made the win at San Siro a notable result even though the group is still open. Belgium kept their own hopes alive with a 2-1 win over Turkiye in Izmir. Arda Guler’s free kick put Turkiye ahead under new coach Sergen Yalcin, but Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere struck twice in quick succession to turn the game around. Turkiye have now lost five straight matches in the group.
England’s place in the quarter-finals is secure, but the final round still matters, and England will want to finish top in Madrid rather than settle for second place. UEFA’s round-up of the night confirms England sealed their place in the last eight while Italy’s win set up a three-way fight in Group A1.
Frequently asked questions
How did England reach the Nations League quarter-finals?
England beat Croatia 2-1 at Wembley, moving to 12 points from five matches in Group A3. That total guarantees a top-two finish and a place in the quarter-finals next March.
Who scored for England against Croatia?
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring in the first half, and Harry Kane scored the winner from the penalty spot after a VAR review. Petar Sucic scored Croatia’s equaliser.
What happened in Italy vs France?
Italy came from behind to win 3-1 in Milan. Francesco Pio Esposito scored twice, Davide Frattesi added the other goal, and Michael Olise scored for France. The defeat was Zinedine Zidane’s first as France coach.
When are the final group games?
The final round takes place on Sunday. England face Spain in Madrid, Italy travel to Belgium, and France host Turkiye.
When are the Nations League quarter-finals?
The quarter-finals will be played next March, after the group stage ends this weekend.
