England Crushes Croatia 7-0 in Record-Breaking UEFA Nations League Rout
England secured a dominant 7-0 victory against Croatia in Group 3 of UEFA Nations League League A, recording the heaviest defeat in Croatia’s international history. The match took place behind closed doors at a stadium in Rijeka, where attendance was restricted to 5,000 children, as Thomas Tuchel’s side improved to six points in the group standings.
The visiting side controlled the contest from the opening whistle, as Harry Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute. The performance left the hosts struggling to mount any meaningful response amid a challenging generational transition for the squad, with a disaster performance characterized by constant difficulty in clearing the ball, low intensity, and a nightmarish defensive phase from a terrible Croatia side.
How the Goals Unfolded in Rijeka
Harry Kane struck first at the eight-minute mark, turning in a pass from Jude Bellingham to net his opening goal. The Bayern Munich centre-forward’s strike brought his tally to 89 goals for England in 124 appearances. The first half progressed with contributions from across the English attack. Bellingham added the second goal in the 21st minute with a finish past goalkeeper Dominik Livaković following a buildup involving Anthony Gordon, after the Real Madrid midfielder received a pass from Gordon subsequent to a great flying control.
Gordon turned from provider to scorer in the 39th minute, heading home a cross from Jarell Quansah. Just before halftime, Bellingham delivered another assist to Bukayo Saka, who tapped in undisturbed to leave the score at 4-0 after 45 minutes.
England Scores Three More to Win 7-0
Following a triple substitution by Bilic at the interval, England maintained pressure. Kane converted an assist from Elliot Anderson in the 53rd minute to claim his second of the night. No one in history had ever managed to score five goals against Croatia away from home.
Saka capitalized on a defensive miscue by Josip Stanišić in the 68th minute to net his second goal. Substitute Omari Rogers completed the 7-0 scoreline in the 87th minute, rounding Livaković to finish into an empty net after breaking clear in open space.
England Rises in UEFA Nations League Table
The win lifts England to six points in Group 3, reinforcing their position near the top of the UEFA Nations League table. For Croatia, the result represents a difficult setback during a period of squad renewal that featured veteran midfielder Luka Modrić alongside younger talents like Martin Baturina and Luka Sučić.
Neither national football association has yet confirmed the precise dates or kickoff times for their next respective fixtures in the ongoing Nations League campaign.
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