Spain v Croatia: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch

UEFA Nations League, League A – 2

Spain ESP

29/09/2026 19:45

Croatia CRO

Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán

Serdar Gozubuyuk

Spain v Croatia Nations League preview

Thirty-five years after leaving Sevilla as a player, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente makes another trip to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Tuesday, revisiting the place where the World Cup winner took his first steps as a manager.

“Coming to Seville always stirs a special emotion in me,” said De la Fuente, whose side host Croatia three days after beating England 3-2 at Wembley Stadium.

“I spent a long time here. I’d tell the Luis de la Fuente who coached the Sevilla youth team 25 years ago, ‘Don’t give up, keep insisting, stay consistent’. That’s what has got me to where I am now.

“The great strength of [our] team is that we have many systems and many ways of playing, always strengthening our ideals.

“We are a solid, strong team that controls the game. But of course Croatia can compete with us and they have a chance. We know them very well from our match-ups over the years.”

After 14 years away, Slaven Bilic’s second spell in charge of the visitors began with a 2-1 win in Czechia on the same night Spain started victoriously.

“This is [Spain’s] first home game after winning the World Cup,” said Bilic. “I have no doubt it will be special, but it certainly won’t be an exhibition game.

“From our side, we won’t make too much of their ‘celebration’. There is no greater challenge than playing a competitive game against the best in the world.”

“If you play at the highest level, both individually and as a team, you can compete against Spain. There are things you can exploit.

“What is certain is that to match them, we have to play at a top, top level. We don’t need a miracle; we need belief and quality.”

UEFA Nations League latest table

UEFA Nations League 2026

World

League A – Group C

#	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Last 1
1	Spain	1	1	0	0	3	2	1	3	W
2	Croatia	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	3	W
3	England	1	0	0	1	2	3	-1	0	L
4	Czechia	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0	L

• Position 1, 2 : Play Offs: Quarter-finals
• Position 3 : Relegation Playoffs
• Position 4 : Relegation

Spain v Croatia Nations League team news

Eric Garcia has withdrawn from Spain’s squad after suffering a minor injury during the warm-up before their win in England.

Marc Pubill deputised for Garcia at right-back and Robin Le Normand has returned to the squad for the first time since October 2025 as the Barcelona player’s replacement in La Roja’s squad.

Inter Milan’s Josep Martinez was an earlier squad replacement for Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who has a minor knee issue, and Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen is in for Marcos Llorent following the defender’s international retirement.

Espanyol forward Roberto Fernandez has received his first call-up but was not part of the matchday squad against the Three Lions.

Centre-back Martin Erlic (foot) and wideman Josip Juranovic (hamstring) withdrew from Croatia’s squad through injury.

Winger Martin Baturina is ill and Fiorentina defender Marin Pongracic, PAOK defender Kristijan Jakic and AEK midfielder Lovro Majer have received late call-ups.

Ivor Pandur will debut if the Rangers goalkeeper features, while Luka Modric, who turned 41 earlier this month and decided to continue playing international football, could win his 204th cap.

Milan’s Modric scored the opener in the win in Czechia, where Orlando City’s Marco Pasalic netted the decisive goal.

Expected line-ups for Spain v Croatia

Spain: Unai Simon, Marc Pubill, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal

Croatia: Dominik Livakovic, Josip Stanisic, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol, Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Sucic, Petar Sucic, Franjo Ivanovic, Ante Budimir

Spain v Croatia stats and Nations League form

• The last meeting between these teams ended in a 3-0 Spain win in Berlin during the group stage of EURO 2024, but the previous two editions finished level after 90 minutes
• After a 0-0 draw in the Nations League final in Rotterdam in 2023, Spain won 5-4. That came two years after they won 5-3 after extra time in the last 16 of EURO 2020 in Copenhagen
• Seven of the 11 editions have produced Spain wins, with the last of Croatia’s three triumphs coming with a 3-2 victory in Maksimir in League A in November 2018
• Spain are unbeaten in regular time in their last 39 matches (W30 D9) since a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in a friendly in London on March 22 2024
• This is their longest-ever undefeated sequence and beats the record for a European nation of 37 matches, set by Italy between October 2018 and September 2021
• La Roja are unbeaten in their last eight Nations League group matches away from home (W5 D3), while their last eight in all settings have produced 39 goals
• Bilic started Croatia’s only win in Spain, coming in the first-ever meeting between the sides when his team prevailed 2-0 in a friendly in Valencia in March 1994
• Since then, Spain have beaten Croatia 3-1 in Seville in May 1999 and 6-0 in Elche in the Nations League in September 2018
• Croatia are on a five-match unbeaten away run (W4) but have lost three of their last five games outside of Croatia (W2), scoring in each of their last seven such fixtures
• Their win in Czechia ended a five-match winless run (L3) outside of Croatia in the Nations League and produced their first goal in such a game in more than four hours and 55 minutes of football

Where to watch Spain v Croatia: Nations League TV channel, live online streams

Kick-off on Tuesday is at 19:45 BST (14:45 ET / 11:45 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Amazon Prime PPV, which charges £2.49 for the game.

For coverage around the world, visit UEFA’s Nations League international broadcaster list.

Spain v Croatia Nations League prediction

Match Prediction

Spain

3 – 2

Croatia

Seven of the nine editions of this fixture during this century have been drawn after 90 minutes or decided by a goal. Spain's performance against England showed they can continue to overpower strong opposition, but expect Croatia – perhaps buoyed by Bilic's return – to push them close again.