England delivered their biggest UEFA Nations League victory and condemned Croatia to the heaviest defeat in their history with a 7-0 demolition in Rijeka.
Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored twice, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and substitute Morgan Rogers also found the net. Four goals arrived before half-time and three more followed after the break as Thomas Tuchel's side turned an important away fixture into a record-setting rout.
The result moved England to six points in Group A3, three behind leaders Spain. More important than the table alone was the nature of the performance: seven goals, a clean sheet and an attacking structure in which England's leading players repeatedly created chances for one another.
Kane and Bellingham set the pattern early
England needed only eight minutes to take control. Bellingham found Kane, who finished high past Dominik Livaković to score the first of his two goals. The move established the central problem Croatia could not solve: England were finding their captain between defensive lines while runners moved beyond him.
Bellingham added the second in the 21st minute after Gordon controlled Saka's delivery and drove the ball across the six-yard area. The goal completed an early exchange of roles between England's attacking players. Bellingham supplied Kane, then arrived in the box himself when Gordon became the creator.
Croatia briefly threatened when Ivan Perišić moved into space, but Jordan Pickford left his line to prevent the chance developing. That intervention mattered because the score was still 1-0. England's dominance later made the moment easy to overlook, yet a Croatian equaliser at that stage could have changed the shape and tempo of the contest.
Instead, England widened the gap. Jarell Quansah crossed for Gordon to head the third in the 39th minute, and Bellingham then supplied Saka for a close-range fourth before the interval. Four different scorers in the first half showed why Croatia could not concentrate their defence on a single threat.
For readers following BetOwl's Football coverage, this was a clear example of chance creation being spread across a front line. A team can be less predictable when its striker also links play and its midfielders and wide players keep entering scoring positions. The expected goals guide explains why the quality and location of those openings matter more than possession by itself.
England refuse to protect the margin
Large half-time leads can encourage a team to slow the match and protect energy. England instead maintained their pressure and added a fifth goal in the 53rd minute. Elliot Anderson advanced from midfield and delivered for Kane, whose movement across the penalty area created the finishing angle.
Kane's double took him to 11 England goals in 2026. The Football Association's statistical review says he is the first player to score at least ten goals for England in three different calendar years, having also reached that mark in 2019 and 2021.
Saka scored his second in the 68th minute, capitalising on a Croatian error before driving into the top corner. The finish gave him two right-footed goals in the same senior match for the first time in his club and international career, according to the FA.
Rogers completed the scoring in the 87th minute. Bellingham released the substitute, who rounded Livaković and finished the seventh. That assist gave Bellingham three for the evening alongside his goal, the first time he had been directly involved in more than two goals during a senior England match.
The scoring sequence also demonstrated why the final margin was more than a collection of isolated mistakes. England created through passes between the lines, deliveries from wide areas, fast combinations and pressure on the ball. Croatia were forced to defend several different routes and never found a stable response.
Scott and Anderson give Tuchel another option
The established attacking names will dominate the headlines, but the midfield platform was equally important. Alex Scott made his full England debut alongside Anderson and played with the speed and aggression needed to confront Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić.
Scott's forward passing helped England move through Croatia's pressure, while Anderson supported attacks without leaving the defence exposed. Their energy allowed Bellingham to operate closer to Kane, where his movement and final pass caused the greatest damage.
Tuchel had made five changes from the 2-0 win in Czechia. The scale of the performance strengthened his options rather than merely confirming a fixed first eleven. Quansah contributed the cross for Gordon's goal, Scott handled a demanding full debut and Rogers scored from the bench.
England also protected Pickford effectively. Croatia had enough experience to punish careless transitions, but the visitors recovered possession quickly and limited the supply into their forwards. The clean sheet completed a performance that was not dependent on attacking output alone.
Historic margin changes the group picture
The FA confirmed that 7-0 is England's biggest Nations League victory and Croatia's heaviest defeat. England also equalled their longest sequence of away wins with nine, matching the run recorded between December 1965 and October 1967.
Those records provide scale, but the group remains unfinished. Spain beat Czechia 3-1 to retain a three-point lead over England. Tuchel's side host Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday, when another win would consolidate their position before the November fixtures against Croatia and Spain.
Croatia face a much more difficult recovery. They had already lost 4-1 in Spain, and a seven-goal home defeat creates questions about defensive organisation as well as the physical balance of an experienced midfield. The response against Spain on Tuesday will reveal more than the table can after one extraordinary evening.
England should take confidence from the repeatable elements: coordinated pressure, multiple runners around Kane and contributions from both starters and substitutes. They should be cautious about treating seven goals as a normal expectation. Croatia's collapse enlarged the margin, and future opponents are unlikely to offer the same space.
More current reports are available in News. Anyone using this result when considering a bet should distinguish a historic outlier from a dependable scoring trend and account for opponent, team selection and match state. Betting is for adults aged 18 and over. Set limits, avoid chasing losses and never stake money needed for essential spending.