Quick answer: England beat Croatia 7-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday 3 October 2026. It was England’s biggest Nations League win and Croatia’s heaviest defeat ever. England are now second in League A, Group 3, on six points after three games. They are not yet through, because three matches remain.
Four months ago, England walked off after a World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina, and the criticism of Thomas Tuchel was loud. On Saturday in Rijeka they scored seven.
It wasn’t a lucky night either. England led after eight minutes and 4-0 at half-time, and it never really got close.
- England beat Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka on 3 October 2026, their biggest-ever Nations League win and Croatia’s heaviest defeat in history.
- Kane and Saka each scored twice, with Bellingham, Gordon and Rogers adding one apiece, and Bellingham also made three assists.
- England are second in League A Group 3 on six points, three behind Spain and three ahead of Croatia, with three games left.
- Second place isn’t secured yet, as the top two reach the March quarter-finals and England still face Czechia, Croatia and Spain.
- Modrić said he felt “ashamed” for the first time in 20 years, while Tuchel called it a “complete performance.”
How The Goals Came
Tuchel made five changes from the side that beat Czechia. Alex Scott made his first England start, and Jordan Pickford returned in goal. The front three of Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka stayed together, with Jude Bellingham back in behind them. Alexander-Arnold, who had been good against Czechia, started on the bench.
England nearly scored inside two minutes, when Bellingham played Gordon in and Dominik Livaković saved from a tight angle. The opener followed in the eighth minute. Bellingham found Kane again, and Kane controlled it and curled it into the top corner, according to ESPN.
Bellingham scored the second himself in the 21st minute. Saka whipped in a deep cross, Gordon kept it alive and pulled it back, and Bellingham finished from close range. Gordon made it 3-0 in the 39th minute with a header at the back post from Jarell Quansah’s cross. That was his second headed goal in two England games, and he’d never scored a header in his previous 248 club appearances.
Croatia did have one real chance. Mateo Kovačić won the ball in the England box and went around Pickford, but he put it wide from six yards. England scored on the stroke of half-time. Gordon and Bellingham swapped passes down the left, Bellingham crossed, and Saka finished unmarked in the middle.
Bilić made three changes at the break, and England carried on. Kane got his second in the 53rd minute, sliding in at the back post after Elliot Anderson worked his way through the Croatian defence and crossed. Saka added his second in the 68th minute. Croatia gave the ball away at the back, Kane found him, and Saka finished from a narrowing angle. Substitute Morgan Rogers ran onto a long ball from Bellingham and scored the seventh in the 87th minute.
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The Numbers Behind It
The FA’s post-match research is where the scale shows:
- It’s England’s biggest win since another 7-0, over North Macedonia in June 2023.
- It’s the heaviest defeat in Croatia’s history. Their joint-heaviest home loss had also come against England, a 4-1 in September 2008.
- England equalled their longest away winning run, nine matches, set between December 1965 and October 1967.
- Four different England players scored in the first half, for the first time since a 2013 game against San Marino.
- Kane became the first England player to score 10 or more goals in three separate calendar years: 11 in 2026, 16 in 2021 and 12 in 2019. SuperSport put his England total at 89.
- Bellingham had one goal and three assists. He’s the first England player with three assists in a game since Trent Alexander-Arnold against San Marino in 2021.
- Anderson played his 20th England game only 392 days after his debut, a faster route to 20 caps than Chris Waddle’s 453 days.
- Saka scored two right-footed goals in one game for the first time in his senior career.
TNT Sports added two more: it was England’s biggest win over a top-50 ranked nation since 1992, and Croatia’s first competitive defeat in Rijeka.
What Croatia Said
Croatia’s reaction was blunt. Captain Luka Modrić said he felt “ashamed”, something he had never felt in two decades with the national team, according to ESPN. Coach Slaven Bilić called it a nightmare and said England were better in every area. He also said the soft goals Croatia conceded left them in a state of shock. In remarks reported by Goal, he said he couldn’t imagine England beating Estonia 7-0 right now, and he called the performance unforgivable.
The Croatian press was harsher still. Jutarnji List called the result an “unacceptable catastrophe”, according to LiveScore.
Bilić has only recently begun his second spell as Croatia’s coach. His team opened with a 2-1 win over Czechia, lost 4-1 to Spain, and then conceded seven. Croatia host Spain next, on Tuesday.
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What Tuchel and Kane Said
Tuchel called it a “complete performance” and agreed it was the best of his time in charge. He said the players had to play with the pain of the World Cup exit, and that the response to the Spain defeat showed in training and meetings that week.
Kane called it “as good as it gets”, per Sky Sports. Sky also took a more measured view, pointing out that this Croatia side is a shadow of the teams that reached a World Cup final in 2018 and finished third in 2022. It argued the real test will be the away game in Spain in November.
Tuchel himself urged fans not to expect seven goals and a flood of chances every game. That’s fair, and it’s worth remembering that nobody scores seven every week.
The Group A3 table
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 9 |
| England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 6 |
| Croatia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 3 |
| Czechia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
England’s goal difference is now better than Spain’s, although Spain lead on points. Spain extended their unbeaten run to 41 matches with a 3-1 win over Czechia in Oviedo, with Lamine Yamal scoring early and Rodri and Mikel Merino adding the others.
England’s one defeat so far was the 3-2 loss to Spain at Wembley on 26 September, which came before the Czechia win in Prague.
What’s next
Per the FA, the top two in each group advance to the quarter-finals in March. England’s remaining games:
- Czechia (home), Tuesday 6 October, 7:45pm BST, Wembley
- Croatia (home), Thursday 12 November, 7:45pm GMT, Wembley
- Spain (away), Sunday 15 November, 7:45pm GMT
Sky Sports thinks England could have a quarter-final place all but secured by the last game. The semi-finals and final are on 9-13 June 2027. Livescore expects Tuchel to rotate a little against Czechia, with Alexander-Arnold likely to come back in.
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Frequently asked questions
What was the final score between Croatia and England?
Croatia 0-7 England, played at Stadion HNK Rijeka on 3 October 2026. It was 4-0 at half-time.
Who scored England’s goals?
Harry Kane (8′, 53′), Jude Bellingham (21′), Anthony Gordon (39′), Bukayo Saka (45′, 68′) and Morgan Rogers (87′).
Is this England’s biggest Nations League win?
Yes. The FA confirmed it as their biggest ever in the competition.
Was it Croatia’s worst defeat ever?
Yes. It’s their heaviest defeat in history, and ESPN described it as their largest margin of defeat since independence.
Which group is England in?
League A, Group 3, alongside Spain, Croatia and Czechia.
Have England reached the quarter-finals?
Not yet. They’re second on six points with three games left.
When do England play next?
Czechia at Wembley, Tuesday 6 October, 7:45pm BST.
Sources & References
- England Football: Match Centre, Croatia 0-7 England: line-ups, goal times and scorers, and the match report.
- England Football: Stats and records from Croatia 0-7 England: record and player statistics.
- ESPN: England thrash Croatia to put World Cup heartbreak firmly behind them: match analysis, Tuchel’s comments, and Croatia’s record defeat.
- Sky Sports: Croatia 0-7 England, thumping win reinvigorates Thomas Tuchel’s project: analysis of the performance and the outlook for the group.
- Sky Sports: UEFA Nations League table: Group A3 standings.
