England secured a convincing 7-0 victory over Croatia in their Nations League match on Saturday, September 3, 2026, in Rijeka. The win was a dominant performance by the English team, with goals from Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Morgan Rogers. England's captain, Harry Kane, described the performance as "unbelievable from start to finish." The win moves England to second place in League A, Group Three, with six points from three matches.
The match got off to a flying start, with England taking the lead in the eighth minute through Harry Kane's goal. Josko Gvardiol lost possession, and Bellingham released Kane, who slipped between two defenders and fired home. Bellingham then doubled the lead in the 21st minute after Gordon turned Saka's cross back across goal. The English team continued to dominate, with Gordon adding the third goal in the 39th minute, meeting Jarell Quansah's cross with a first-time finish.
England continued to pour on the goals in the second half, with Kane scoring his second goal in the 53rd minute, assisted by Elliot Anderson's low cross. Saka then scored his second goal in the 68th minute after Josip Stanisic's misplaced pass across his own box gifted him the opportunity. Bellingham released Morgan Rogers to complete the rout three minutes from time. The convincing win marked a significant improvement in England's performance, with Kane praising his team's dominance throughout the match.
The win moves England to second place in League A, Group Three, with six points from three matches, behind Spain on nine points. Croatia has three points, while the Czech Republic remains pointless. England's next match is against the Czech Republic on Tuesday, and Kane expressed his desire to draw level with Peter Shilton's England record, which is within one cap. Kane currently has 124 appearances and 89 goals for England.
In another Nations League match, Spain maintained their perfect start with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic in Oviedo. Despite coach Luis de la Fuente making nine changes to the side that beat Croatia 4-1 on Tuesday, Spain dominated the match. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a stunning left-footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Spain's captain, Rodri, doubled their advantage by converting a rebound inside the area, his first international goal in more than two years. The Czech Republic gave them hope in the 69th minute through Jiri Slama's angled shot, but their chances of an equaliser faded when Ladislav Krejci received a second booking in the 85th minute. Mikel Merino then sealed Spain's victory, finishing first time from inside the box following another quick break.
In other Nations League matches, Scotland won 2-0 at North Macedonia through goals from Kieron Bowie and John McGinn before Scott McKenna was sent off in the 83rd minute. Switzerland came from behind to beat Slovenia 2-1 in Luzern, with an Erik Janza own goal and Dan Ndoye's strike overturning Zan Vipotnik's opener. The Swiss lead Group One on nine points, with Scotland and Slovenia level on four.
Key points
- England's 7-0 victory over Croatia marked a dominant performance by the English team.
- Spain maintained their perfect start in the Nations League with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic.
- The Nations League group standings have England in second place in League A, Group Three, and Switzerland leading Group One on nine points.
