England Crush Croatia 7-0 in UEFA Nations League
England Deliver Historic 7-0 Win Over Croatia in Rijeka
Kabarsaji.com – England produced an overwhelming display in Rijeka on Saturday, October 3, 2026, defeating Croatia 7-0 in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. The result became England’s largest victory in the fixture and Croatia’s heaviest defeat on home soil.
Played without spectators due to a UEFA sanction imposed after crowd trouble during Croatia’s Nations League match against France last year, the contest was one-sided from its opening stages. England’s pace, movement and finishing repeatedly exposed the hosts, while Croatia were unable to recover after falling behind early.
Harry Kane scored twice, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers also found the net. Saka added two goals in a performance that underlined England’s control across both halves.
Early pressure turns into a commanding lead
England began with clear attacking intent. Gordon was among the first to threaten, breaking beyond the Croatian defensive line and forcing goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic into action with a left-footed effort.
The breakthrough came in the eighth minute. Bellingham played Kane through with a precise pass, and the England captain made no mistake as he sent his finish past Livakovic for 1-0.
Croatia struggled to contain England on the flanks, particularly on the right side where Saka created danger. In the 21st minute, Saka delivered a cross before Gordon brought the ball under control and drove a low pass across goal. Bellingham arrived in space to convert and double the visitors’ advantage.
England’s third goal followed in the 39th minute. Jarell Quansah supplied the cross and Gordon directed a header toward the far corner, leaving Livakovic with no realistic chance of keeping it out.
Saka then ensured England went into the interval with an even more emphatic cushion. His 45th-minute goal made it 4-0, putting the match well beyond Croatia’s reach before the second half had begun.
Kane and Saka extend England’s dominance
There was no reduction in England’s intensity after the restart. Seven minutes into the second half, Kane added his second goal. Elliot Anderson delivered a low ball from the right after a flowing team move, and Kane finished to make the score 5-0.
The goal showed the range of England’s attacking options. Anderson’s contribution from midfield and Kane’s clinical movement in the penalty area combined to punish a Croatian side that was finding it increasingly difficult to slow the visitors’ attacks.
England struck again in the 68th minute after Josip Stanisic lost possession in Croatia’s defensive third. Saka took advantage from close range, scoring his second of the evening and England’s sixth.
Rogers completed the rout in the 87th minute. He timed his run to beat the offside line, went around Livakovic and calmly rolled the ball into the net. The seventh goal confirmed a result that will stand as a painful landmark for Croatia and a major statement from England.
What the result means in Group A3
The victory leaves Thomas Tuchel’s England side second in Group A3 with six points. Spain remain one point ahead before their scheduled match against the Czech Republic early on Sunday morning at 01:30 WIB.
Croatia stay third on three points, while the Czech Republic are bottom with one. Beyond the immediate group standings, England’s performance extended their unbeaten sequence against Croatia to five matches, a run that dates back to the 2018 World Cup.
For Croatia, the scale of the defeat will be difficult to overlook. Their experienced midfield, including Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, could not establish enough control to stem England’s momentum. Defensive mistakes and England’s sharp finishing turned a difficult night into a record loss.
England, meanwhile, combined established leadership from Kane with influential performances from Bellingham, Saka and Gordon. The depth shown through substitutions also mattered, with Rogers coming off the bench to score the final goal.
Starting line-ups
Croatia began in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic (Sutalo 76'), Josko Gvardiol, Luka Vuskovic, Ivan Perisic; Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric (Jakic 56'); Franjo Ivanovic, Petar Sucic (Pasalic 46'), Martin Baturina (Vlasic 46'); Petar Musa (Matanovic 46').
England lined up in a 4-2-3-1: Jordan Pickford; Jarell Quansah, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Lewis Hall (Lewis-Skelly 79'); Alex Scott (Garner 69'), Elliot Anderson (Gibbs-White 79'); Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon (Rogers 69'); Harry Kane (Eze 69').
There were no further goals after Rogers’ late strike. England left Rijeka with a seven-goal win, six points in the group and a performance that reshaped the recent history of this rivalry.
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