UEFA Nations League,
League A – 3
Croatia
CRO
England
ENG
-
Venue
- Stadion Rujevica
-
Referee
- Sven Jablonski
Preview for Croatia v England
England will look to make it back-to-back UEFA Nations League wins when they travel to Rijeka to face Croatia on Saturday evening.
The two nations meet less than four months after England beat Croatia 4-2 during the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
England responded to their opening Nations League defeat against Spain by claiming a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague on Tuesday.
The result also extended England’s winning run away from home in the Nations League to four matches and ended a run of six games without a clean sheet.
Tuchel has now won 18 of his 24 matches as England manager, with two draws and four defeats since taking charge in January 2025.
The German described Tuesday’s display as “very professional” after England negotiated what he considered an “awkward” assignment in Prague.
Croatia began their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 win away against the Czech Republic before suffering a heavy defeat against Spain.
Dion Beljo cancelled out Lamine Yamal’s early opener, but Marc Pubill restored Spain’s advantage just three minutes later before two more goals after the break completed a 4-1 win.
It was Croatia’s first defeat since Slaven Bilic returned as head coach, and the former West Ham boss was critical of his team’s performance afterwards, highlighting a lack of aggression and defensive mistakes.
The UEFA Nations League Table
UEFA Nations League 2026
World
League A – Group C
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Spain |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
W
W
W
W
|
| 2 |
England |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 9 |
W
W
W
L
|
| 3 |
Croatia |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 3 |
L
L
L
W
|
| 4 |
Czechia |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 0 |
L
L
L
L
|
- Position 1, 2 : Play Offs: Quarter-finals
- Position 3, 4 : Possible Play-off
Team News for Croatia v England
England will be without Nico O’Reilly after the Manchester City defender withdrew from the squad through injury, meaning Lewis Hall is expected to continue at left-back.
Ezri Konsa was an unused substitute against the Czech Republic and could return to the starting XI, although Trevoh Chalobah will hope to retain his place alongside Marc Guehi.
There will be a change in goal, with Tuchel confirming that Jordan Pickford will start England’s next two matches after James Trafford was selected for the opening two Nations League fixtures.
Jude Bellingham is also pushing for a return to the starting XI, while Alex Scott and James Garner are among the options available to Tuchel in midfield.
Croatia have also had defensive injury problems, with Josip Juranovic among those unavailable.
Luka Vuskovic could be brought into the back line alongside Josko Gvardiol, with Marin Pongracic potentially making way.
Luka Modric is another contender to return to the starting XI after the 41-year-old was rested against Spain, while Martin Baturina could be used either in midfield or further forward.
Expected line-ups for Croatia v England
Croatia: Livakovic; Smolcic, Vuskovic, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic, P. Sucic; Baturina, Beljo, Marco Pasalic.
England: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Chalobah, Guehi, Hall; Anderson, Garner; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Croatia
England
Substitutions
- 23 D. Kotarski
- 18 K. Jakić
- 9 A. Kramarić
- 20 I. Matanović
- 22 J. Mišić
- 12 I. Pandur
- 15 Mario Pasalic
- 19 Marco Pasalic
- 3 I. Smolčić
- 21 L. Sučić
- 6 J. Šutalo
- 13 N. Vlašić
- J. Trafford 13
- J. Steele 23
- M. Rogers 17
- R. Ngumoha 14
- M. Lewis-Skelly 16
- M. Gibbs-White 20
- J. Garner 18
- E. Eze 21
- T. Chalobah 12
- D. Calvert-Lewin 19
- T. Alexander-Arnold 2
- J. Branthwaite 15
Recent Form & Stats for Croatia v England
- England have won 18 of their 24 matches under Thomas Tuchel.
- The Three Lions have won their last four Nations League away matches.
- England ended a six-game run without a clean sheet by beating the Czech Republic 2-0.
- England have won three of their last five meetings with Croatia, drawing one and losing one.
- Croatia have conceded in 11 of their last 12 international matches.
- Croatia have lost their last six games against teams ranked inside FIFA’s top 10.
- Croatia are unbeaten in their last nine competitive home matches, winning eight.
- England beat Croatia 4-2 when the teams met at the 2026 World Cup.
Recent Results : Croatia
-
UEFA Nations League
Croatia
CRO
L 1 – 2 2026-10-06
Spain
ESP
-
UEFA Nations League
Croatia
CRO
L 0 – 7 2026-10-03
England
ENG
-
UEFA Nations League
Spain
ESP
L 4 – 1 2026-09-29
Croatia
CRO
-
UEFA Nations League
Czechia
CZE
W 1 – 2 2026-09-26
Croatia
CRO
-
World Cup
Portugal
POR
L 2 – 1 2026-07-03
Croatia
CRO
Recent Results : England
-
UEFA Nations League
England
ENG
W 3 – 0 2026-10-06
Czechia
CZE
-
UEFA Nations League
Croatia
CRO
W 0 – 7 2026-10-03
England
ENG
-
UEFA Nations League
Czechia
CZE
W 0 – 2 2026-09-29
England
ENG
-
UEFA Nations League
England
ENG
L 2 – 3 2026-09-26
Spain
ESP
-
World Cup
England
ENG
L 1 – 2 2026-07-15
Argentina
ARG
Where to Watch Croatia v England: TV and online streams
Croatia v England kicks off at 5:00pm BST on Saturday, October 3. The match will be shown live in the UK on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 4:15pm. Supporters can also stream the game live for free on ITVX. STV and the STV Player will provide coverage in Scotland.
Prediction for Croatia v England
England looked much more assured in their win over the Czech Republic, but Croatia should provide a tougher test on home soil.
Bilic’s side have been difficult to beat in competitive matches at home, although their defensive record and recent struggles against highly-ranked opposition could leave opportunities for England.
Match Prediction
Croatia
England
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