Croatia 0-7 England: Highlights, stats, man of the match as Three Lions strike seven in thrilling win

England secured a stunning 7-0 triumph astatine Stadion HNK Rijeka successful the UEFA Nations League connected Saturday evening, handing Croatia their biggest-ever defeat.

England got disconnected to a flying commencement erstwhile Harry Kane opened the scoring aft conscionable 8 minutes, mounting the tempo for an electrical archetypal 45 minutes from the Three Lions.

Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka joined Kane connected the scoresheet, leaving England with a commanding 4-0 pb astatine half-time. 

The Three Lions' humiliation of Croatia continued successful the 2nd half, with Kane grabbing his 2nd of the nighttime conscionable 8 minutes aft the restart to marque it 5-0 to England.

Saka added his 2nd and England's sixth successful the 68th minute, with Morgan Rogers rounding disconnected the scoring with a seventh for the Three Lions successful the 87th infinitesimal to seal a sensational triumph.

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SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

England produced perchance their champion show of Thomas Tuchel's tenure against Croatia tonight. 

The German's broadside were ascendant from infinitesimal one, perpetually pressing precocious up the transportation and forcing Croatia into countless errors, portion besides demonstrating superb interchanges from their attacking players successful the last third. 

The precocious tempo, precocious strength and forward-thinking quality of the show volition beryllium precisely what Tuchel and England fans privation to spot each game, particularly aft the disappointment of their alternatively passive eventual elimination to Argentina astatine the World Cup. 

The knowing of England's beforehand 4 volition beryllium peculiarly pleasing to see, with Kane, Gordon, Saka and Bellingham each perpetually switching positions and freeing up abstraction for others to onslaught into. 

For each of the positives displayed by England, the Three Lions were besides helped by the immense shortcomings of Croatia, who looked physically and mentally miles disconnected it this evening. 

That volition travel arsenic a immense interest to Slaven Bilic, whose broadside volition present look Spain connected Tuesday, wherever a triumph against the satellite champions whitethorn beryllium needed to springiness them immoderate accidental of ensuring their League A presumption remains intact.

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CROATIA VS. ENGLAND HIGHLIGHTS

Harry Kane extremity vs. Croatia (8th min, Croatia 0-1 England)

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Kane scores for England!

Josko Gvardiol cheaply gives the shot away, and England enactment it guardant to Alex Scott and past Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham patiently waits for an opening and slips a walk done to Kane, who takes 1 interaction and fires into the apical near corner.

Jude Bellingham extremity vs. Croatia (21st min, Croatia 0-2 England)

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Bellingham makes it two!

Bukayo Saka's transverse into the container looks to beryllium overhit, but Anthony Gordon superbly keeps the accidental live with a fantastic archetypal touch. 

Gordon's interaction takes him to the byline, wherever the winger fires a debased transverse for Bellingham to pat location from adjacent range.

Anthony Gordon extremity vs. Croatia (39th min, Croatia 0-3 England)

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Gordon heads location a 3rd for England!

Kane finds Jarell Quansah connected the close flank, and the full-back whips a bouncing transportation towards the backmost post. 

Gordon beats his marker to the transverse and powerfully heads into the apical corner, giving England a third.

Bukayo Saka extremity vs. Croatia (45th min, Croatia 0-4 England)

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Saka scores for England! The Three Lions person four!

Bellingham receives the shot backmost from Gordon conscionable wrong the near of the punishment area, and the midfielder twists, turns and crosses into the box. 

The debased transportation finds Saka unmarked successful the centre of the six-yard box, and the winger makes nary mistakes with his finish.

Harry Kane extremity vs. Croatia (53rd min, Croatia 0-5 England)

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Five for England! Kane has a brace!

Elliot Anderson fantastically combines with Saka to let the midfielder to burst into the box.

Anderson threads a delightful transportation towards the backmost post, wherever Kane is determination to descent and pat home.

Bukayo Saka extremity vs. Croatia (68th min, Croatia 0-6 England)

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Saka strikes for six!

Josip Stanisic's stray walk goes to Saka successful the Croatia box, and the shot bounces disconnected the winger to Kane. 

Kane stabs the shot backmost done to Saka, who lifts his effort implicit the goalkeeper and into the top-left corner.

Morgan Rogers extremity vs. Croatia (87th min, Croatia 0-7 England)

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 3, 2026

Rogers gets successful connected the action! England person a seventh!

Bellingham lofts a shot implicit the apical of the Croatia defence for Rogers to contention onto. 

Rogers drives into the punishment area, easy rounds Dominik Livakovic and slots into the gaping net. 

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MAN OF THE MATCH - HARRY KANE

England's full beforehand 4 were deserving of this award, each getting connected the scoresheet and producing sublime attacking performances against the mostly helpless Croatia.

However, our prime of the clump is England's skipper Kane, who produced a fantastic all-round show alongside scoring a brace and registering an assist.

The Croatia defence struggled to woody with Kane's changeless movements into deeper positions, allowing players to burst past the striker, portion the Bayern Munich guardant was besides successful the close spot astatine the close clip to doubly get connected the scoresheet.

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CROATIA VS. ENGLAND MATCH STATS

Possession: Croatia 36%-64% England

Shots: Croatia 12-19 England

Shots connected target: Croatia 1-10 England

Corners: Croatia 1-6 England

Fouls: Croatia 10-6 England

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BEST STATS

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 3, 2026 — ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 3, 2026 — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 3, 2026 — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 3, 2026

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WHAT NEXT?

England volition play their last lucifer of the existent planetary interruption erstwhile they instrumentality connected Czech Republic connected Tuesday night. 

Meanwhile, Croatia volition purpose to bounce backmost from tonight's miserable decision erstwhile they look satellite champions Spain.

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