Kane and Saka score twice as England record historic victory against top-ranked opposition.
England delivered one of their most dominant modern international performances in Rijeka, overwhelming Croatia with seven unanswered goals in a result that rewrote records for both teams.
England Scores Seven in Rijeka
England defeated Croatia 7-0 at Stadion HNK Rijeka on October 3, 2026, in their third UEFA Nations League Group A3 match. Thomas Tuchel’s side controlled the contest and delivered England’s biggest winning margin against a nation ranked inside FIFA’s top 50 since the ranking system began in 1992. Croatia were ranked 13th.
Kane and Saka Score Twice Each
Captain Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored two goals, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers completed the seven-goal rout. Bellingham also provided an assist as England repeatedly broke through the Croatian defense.
Victory Breaks England Record Against Top-50 Teams
According to Opta data cited by detikSport, England’s previous largest victories against top-50 FIFA-ranked opponents were 5-0 wins over Serbia and the Czech Republic in 2019. England had beaten San Marino 10-0 in 2021, but San Marino were outside the world’s top 50, making the Croatia result a separate record under that ranking criterion.
Croatia Suffers Worst Defeat in History
The result was also Croatia’s heaviest defeat in international football, surpassing their previous 6-0 loss to Spain in 2018. Captain Luka Modric later described the performance as unacceptable and said Croatia lacked aggression, cohesion and intensity throughout the match.
England Keeps Pressure on Spain
The victory lifted England to six points from three matches in Group A3, keeping them three points behind leaders Spain, who maintained a perfect nine points after defeating Czechia 3-1. England therefore remain firmly in contention as the Nations League group stage continues.
England’s 7-0 victory over Croatia combined a dominant attacking display with a historic result against highly ranked opposition. For football followers in Indonesia and Singapore, the match stands out as one of the biggest international results of the 2026 Nations League campaign, while Croatia now face the task of responding after the worst defeat in their history.
Sources: Batampos (2026) , Detik Sport (2026)
Keywords: England Vs Croatia, Croatia 0-7 England, UEFA Nations League 2026, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, England Football Record
