England give Scott first start for Croatia clash in Rijeka
England handed Alex Scott his first international start and brought Jarell Quansah into defence for the Nations League trip to Croatia on 3 October 2026.
The match kicked off at 5pm BST at Stadion HNK Rijeka in Rijeka. It is a League A Group A3 game in the league phase of UEFA's Nations League, the biennial international competition played between major tournaments. UEFA
England started with Jordan Pickford in goal. Ahead of him were Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Lewis Hall, then Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham and Scott in midfield, with Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon in attack. Quansah came in for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Guardian
Scott's inclusion was the headline. The midfielder had been named in England's squad for the September-October window on 18 September, and this was his first start in an England shirt.
Croatia were led out by Luka Modric. Their starting side was Dominik Livakovic in goal, Josip Stanisic, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol and Ivan Perisic in defence, with Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Fran Ivanovic, Petar Sucic, Martin Baturina and Petar Musa also selected. Germany's Sven Jablonski was the referee.
There was an unusual atmosphere in Rijeka. The game was officially played behind closed doors as punishment for crowd trouble during Croatia's Nations League quarter-final against France. Under UEFA rules, up to 6,000 children aged up to 14 from the Rijeka area plus guardians were allowed in, alongside 100 England fans in the 8,200-seat stadium.
Form pointed in England's favour. They arrived after a 2-0 win away in Czechia, while Croatia had lost 4-1 in Spain. England's group opponents in this 2026-27 campaign are Spain, Croatia and Czechia.
For fans, this means a look at the next wave. Quansah, Hall and Scott are all young players getting serious minutes in a competitive away game, not a friendly. That is exactly the kind of test that tells you who can handle the noise, even when the stands are almost empty.
England do not wait long for the next one. Their next match after Croatia away is at home to Czechia on 6 October 2026. In the United States, the Croatia game was shown on FS2 and streamed on Fubo. The Guardian
