In the National League match in Rijeka, the England national team achieved a crushing 7-0 victory over Croatia. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored twice in the game, allowing the team to demonstrate complete superiority over Croatia.
National League
Thomas Tuchel's team defeated Croatia in Rijeka, securing their second win out of three in their National League group. England captain Harry Kane scored a brace, bringing his record number of goals for the national team to 89. However, the forward from Bayern was not the only standout player in this match.
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka also scored two goals, marking the biggest victory in Tuchel's era. Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, who returned to the starting lineup after the 2-0 victory over Czechia on Tuesday, also scored and helped create a brilliant spectacle with three assists. Anthony Gordon scored, netting four goals in England's last four matches, while Morgan Rogers sealed the destruction.
Previously, England concluded an international break against Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday, aiming to secure one of the top two spots for the National League quarter-finals in March. This match was louder than the current one, as the game in Rijeka was played behind closed doors due to issues with Croatian fans against France in 2025.
At the HNK Rijeka Stadium, approximately 6,000 local schoolchildren and 100 English supporters were allowed to attend, creating a subdued atmosphere in a country known for its hostility. The English players had previously swum in the nearby Adriatic Sea, prompting Tuchel to warn that a relaxed mood in the camp should not lead the team into 'vacation mode.'
Nevertheless, despite the bright Adriatic sun just a few blocks from the stadium, it was an easy task for England, as they dismantled an aging Croatia, disappointing the young audience. Tuchel's team scored within eight minutes, making a decisive breakthrough that highlighted the difference in class between the teams.
Burnley midfielder Alex Scott, making his debut in the starting lineup for England, initiated the attack by delivering a calm pass to Bellingham. Bellingham sent a precisely weighted ball behind the slow-reacting Croatian defense, and Kane elegantly touched the ball before striking clinically into the top corner from a distance of 10 yards.
Without showing mercy, England possessed greater tempo and composure than Croatia. It was unsurprising that Bellingham increased the lead late in a fluid attack from 27 passes in the 21st minute. Saka's cross was too high for his teammates, but Gordon skillfully controlled the ball in the air and delivered it into the six-yard box, where Bellingham reached out and pushed the ball into the far corner.
Gordon ultimately decided the outcome of the match in the 39th minute, diving to head a precise cross from Jarrell Quansah past Dominik Livaković from six yards. Quansah's assist was a timely response to critics who claimed Tuchel made a mistake by choosing him over Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Real Madrid right-back started for England almost two years ago against Czechia.
England previously beat Croatia 4-2 in June in the first group match of the World Cup, but this match proved much more one-sided. Bellingham was in unstoppable form, breaking into the Croatian zone and dribbling Luka Modrić back with a smooth feint before passing low to Saka, who scored near the goal at the end of the first half.
After the break, England showed no mercy: Kane scored again in the 53rd minute, easily converting Elliot Anderson's cross. Saka netted the sixth goal following a pass from Kane, taking advantage of another terrible error by the helpless Croatia in the 68th minute. Rogers came on as a substitute and cemented England's triumph, directing the ball into Livaković's net from a Bellingham pass in the 87th minute.