Croatia v England
League A, Group 3
UEFA Nations League
5pm BST, Saturday 3 October
Stadion HNK Rijeka

Head-to-head

England have faced Croatia on 12 occasions and emerged victorious last time out as they won 4-2 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.

The Three Lions have seven wins, two draws and three defeats in those 12 meetings and have faced Croatia twice before in the UEFA Nations League.

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Thomas Tuchel has named his England team to take on Croatia in the UEFA Nations League, their first rematch since a 4-2 win for the Three Lions at the FIFA World Cup 2026 this summer.

The head coach has made five changes. He has handed a first England start to Alex Scott, who made his debut for the senior team in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Czechia.

Jude Bellingham returns to the team, looking to score against Croatia as he did in the summer, while the front three of Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka remains unchanged.

Jordan Pickford is back into the starting line-up as goalkeeper, replacing James Trafford, while Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah, who both started against Spain, come in for Trevoh Chalobah and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the back four.

England: 1 Jordan Pickford, 3 Lewis Hall, 4 Alex Scott, 5 Ezri Konsa, 6 Marc Guéhi, 7 Bukayo Saka, 8 Elliot Anderson, 9 Harry Kane, 10 Jude Bellingham, 11 Anthony Gordon, 22 Jarell Quansah

Substitutes: 2 Trent Alexander-Arnold, 12 Trevoh Chalobah, 13 James Trafford, 14 Rio Ngumoha, 15 Jarrad Branthwaite, 16 Myles Lewis-Skelly, 17 Morgan Rogers, 18 James Garner, 19 Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 20 Morgan Gibbs-White, 21 Eberechi Eze, 23 Jason Steele

England earned an emphatic 7-0 victory over Croatia to earn their second win of the UEFA Nations League campaign.

The Three Lions were in complete control in front of a reduced crowd in Rijeka, as they inflicted a record defeat on the hosts.

A fast start saw England lead through Harry Kane inside eight minutes before goals from Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka established a commanding 4-0 lead at the break.

The attacking front four were completely in sync and Kane and Saka both notched again after the break before substitute Morgan Rogers added a seventh late on to wrap up a second victory over Croatia in 2026, following the World Cup win in Dallas almost four months ago.

England started brightly and had a sight of goal within two minutes as Bellingham slipped Gordon in behind, and the winger’s effort from a narrow angle forced a save from Dominik Livaković.

It was a sign of things to come as the Three Lions took the lead just six minutes later through Kane. Bellingham was again was the creator with another through ball, and Kane made no mistake by firing home high into the net.

England continued to dominate, with Gordon firing another effort on target shortly after the opener and the visitors enjoying dominant possession of the ball.

A second goal came in the 21st minute, with Bellingham turning from provider to scorer. Saka’s deep cross was excellently kept in by Gordon, who turned and fired the ball back across to Bellingham who stabbed home from close range.

Thomas Tuchel’s side refused to let up and continued to put heavy pressure on the Croatian goal, as Gordon put England 3-0 up six minutes before half time with a second stooping header in as many weeks, when the Barcelona winger crept in at the back post to meet an excellent cross from Jarell Quansah.

Croatia began to fight their way back into the contest and almost grabbed one back when Mateo Kovačić won the ball in the England penalty area and went around Jordan Pickford but the midfielder could only put his effort wide of the target from six yards out.

England duly punished that profligacy as Saka got on the scoresheet on the stroke of half time following a quick counter-attack.

Gordon and Bellingham exchanged passes down the left before the latter brilliantly found space to cross to Saka, who converted unmarked from the middle of the box.

Croatia looked to make a fast start to the second half following a trio of half-time substitutes by Slaven Bilić.Igor Matanović almost made an immediate impact but his long-range effort was narrowly wide of Pickford’s post.

England continued to search for more goals too despite their healthy advantage and Gordon once more caused problems down the left before his cross was almost turned home by Luka Vušković.

The fifth goal came just a moment later as Kane grabbed his second of the evening. Elliot Anderson passed his way through the Croatian defence and crossed for Kane who was in position to slide home at the back post.

Bellingham then came close to his second when he was played in by Gordon, but his finish rolled wide of the post just before the hour.

England were utterly relentless in pursuing further goals and Saka grabbed his second with a quarter of the contest still to play.

The Three Lions seized on a loose pass at the back from Croatia and Kane found Saka to fire past Livaković from a tightening angle.

England were able to ring the changes but continued their control and substitute Rogers scored the seventh of the evening three minutes from time.

He latched onto a long ball over the top of the Croatian defence from Bellingham and duly finished past Livaković to finish off a memorable evening.

England: 1 Jordan Pickford (Everton); 3 Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), 5 Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), 6 Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), 22 Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen); 4 Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth), 8 Elliot Anderson (Manchester City); 7 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), 10 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), 11 Anthony Gordon (Barcelona); 9 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Substitutes: 21 Eberechi Eze (Arsenal) for Kane 70’, 18 James Garner (Everton) for Scott 70’, 17 Morgan Rogers (Chelsea) for Gordon 70’, 16 Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) for Hall 79’, 20 Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) for Anderson 79’

Subs not used: 2 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), 12 Trevoh Chalobah (Como), 13 James Trafford (Leeds United), 14 Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), 15 Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), 19 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), 23 Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Head Coach: Thomas Tuchel

Goals: Kane 8’, 53’, Bellingham 21’, Gordon 39’, Saka 45’, 68’, Rogers 87’

Croatia: 1 Dominik Livaković; 2 Josip Stanišić, 4 Joško Gvardiol, 5 Luka Vušković, 14 Ivan Perišić; 8 Mateo Kovačić, 10 Luka Modrić; 7 Franjo Ivanović, 16 Martin Baturina, 17 Petar Sučić; 11 Petar Musa

Substitutes: 20 Igor Matanović for Musa 46’, 15 Mario Pašalić for Sučić 46’, 13 Nikola Vlašić for Baturina 46’, 18 Kristijan Jakić for Modrić 57’, 6 Josip Šutalo for Stanišić 76’

Subs not used: 3 Ivan Smolčić, 9 Andrej Kramarić, 12 Ivor Pandur, 19 Marco Pašalić, 21 Luka Sučić, 22 Josip Mišić, 23 Dominik Kotarski

Head Coach: Slaven Bilić