England Run Riot in Rijeka to Thrash Croatia 7-0

England beat Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka on Saturday 3 October 2026 in the UEFA Nations League, UEFA's competition for national teams. It was ruthless from start to finish. Croatia had no answer.

Harry Kane opened the scoring to settle England early. Then the first half turned into a rush. Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka all scored before the break to make it 4-0, leaving the hosts chasing shadows, according to BBC Sport.

Kane struck again early in the second half for England's fifth. Saka added his second from close range to make it six. Substitute Morgan Rogers completed the scoring with the seventh.

The goals told one story. The team sheet told another. Jarell Quansah started at right-back, the defender on the right side of the back four, ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Alex Scott made his first England start in midfield.

That trust in new faces paid off. Bellingham was named the best player on the pitch by BBC Sport England reporter Alex Howell, who gave him a 9 out of 10. Kane and Gordon also earned 9s for their cutting edge in attack.

Quansah, Elliot Anderson and Saka received 8s. Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall, Scott and Rogers were given 7s. Jordan Pickford, Eberechi Eze, James Garner, Morgan Gibbs-White and Myles Lewis-Skelly were rated 6.

The game kicked off at 17:00 BST in Rijeka and was listed as sold out by England Football. Croatia arrived on the back of a 4-1 defeat to Spain in midweek, noted in England Football's preview.

What makes this stand out is the mix. England's established stars scored. Their newest starters kept the shape. For fans, this means a night when everything clicked at once, home and away supporters long remembering where they watched it.