England secured a convincing 7-0 victory over Croatia in the Nations League on Saturday, with captain Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scoring twice. The win marked England's second victory in their first three matches in their Nations League group. The match was played behind closed doors due to crowd trouble involving Croatia fans against France in 2025, with around 6,000 local school children and 100 England supporters in attendance.
England took just eight minutes to go ahead with an incisive raid that exposed the talent gap between the sides. Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, making his first start for England, was the catalyst with a composed pass to Jude Bellingham. Bellingham slipped an equally measured ball in behind the flat-footed Croatia defence, and Kane took a deft touch before stroking a clinical finish into the roof of the net from 10 yards.
England had too much pace and poise for Croatia, and it was no surprise when Bellingham increased their advantage at the end of a flowing 27-pass move in the 21st minute. Saka's cross was too high for his team-mates, but Anthony Gordon adroitly controlled the ball in mid-air and whipped it back into the six-yard box, where Bellingham stretched to poke into the far corner.
Gordon put the result beyond doubt in the 39th minute, diving to meet Jarell Quansah's pinpoint cross with an agile header that flashed past Dominik Livaković from six yards. Quansah's assist was a timely riposte to the critics who said manager Thomas Tuchel was wrong to select him instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Real Madrid right-back made his first England start in nearly two years against Czech Republic.
England showed no mercy after the interval and Kane netted again in the 53rd minute, sliding in to convert Elliot Anderson's cross with ease. Saka got the sixth from Kane's pass after another woeful error from helpless Croatia in the 68th minute. The win marked England's biggest victory of the Tuchel era.
Morgan Rogers came off the bench to put the seal on England's swaggering display, rounding Livaković to net from Bellingham's 87th-minute pass. The result marked a significant step towards a top-two finish to secure a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals in March. England conclude the international break against Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday.
The match was a far cry from England's 4-2 win over Croatia in June in their opening World Cup group game, but this was a far more one-sided encounter. Kane's double extended his record goal tally for his country to 89. The win also highlighted the depth of talent in the England squad, with several players making significant contributions to the victory.
Key points
- England secured a 7-0 win over Croatia in the Nations League.
- Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scored twice in the match.
- The win marked England's second victory in their first three matches in their Nations League group.
