England Demolishes Croatia 7-0 in Record UEFA Nations League Rout
England secured the largest victory in the history of their fixtures against Croatia with a 7-0 rout at the Stadion HNK Rijeka on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The result marked the worst defeat ever suffered by Croatia in international competition.
Led by manager Thomas Tuchel, the visitors applied relentless pressure from the opening whistle in the UEFA Nations League Group 3 fixture. Harry Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and the Three Lions never relented, extending their unbeaten run against Croatia to five matches since the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
How the Goals Unfolded in Rijeka
England established control early when Jude Bellingham slipped a pass through to Harry Kane, who finished past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic in the eighth minute. Bellingham added the second himself in the 21st minute, sweeping home following buildup play involving Anthony Gordon.
Gordon tested Livakovic repeatedly before finally breaking through in the 39th minute, rising to head in a cross from Jarell Quansah after three earlier saves by the Barcelona goalkeeper. Right before the halftime whistle, Bellingham drove down the flank and squared for Bukayo Saka, who tucked away the fourth goal to leave England comfortably ahead at the break.
Second-Half Execution Completes the Record Defeat
England maintained their intensity after the interval. Just seven minutes into the second half, Elliot Anderson delivered a low cross from the right wing that allowed Kane to turn in his second goal of the match for a 5-0 lead.
Saka joined Kane on a brace in the 68th minute, capitalizing on a misplaced clearance from Josip Stanisic inside his own penalty area to finish from close range. Morgan Rogers capped the scoring in the 87th minute, beating the Croatian offside trap before rounding Livakovic to seal the 7-0 scoreline.
England Trails Spain After Winning Behind Closed Doors
The match at Stadion HNK Rijeka was played behind closed doors as part of a sanction levied following crowd disturbances during a previous UEFA Nations League fixture between Croatia and France.
The win leaves Thomas Tuchel’s side in second place in Group A3 with six points, trailing group leaders Spain by a single point. Croatia sits third in the group standings with three points, ahead of the Czech Republic in fourth.
Starting Lineups on October 3, 2026
Croatia: Livakovic; Stanisic, Vuskovic, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic; Ivanovic, Sucic, Baturina; Musa.
England: Pickford; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, Hall; Anderson, Scott; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
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