Croatia Hosts England in Nations League Group A3 Clash With Both Teams Sitting on 3 Points

Croatia hosts England on Saturday, October 3, at Stadion HNK Rijeka in Rijeka, with kickoff set for 6pm local time, 16:00 GMT. It's matchday three of UEFA Nations League 2026-27 Group A3, and both teams enter with identical 1-1 records.

Croatia opened with a 2-1 win over Czechia in Prague on September 26, then got run over 4-1 by world champions Spain in Seville three days later, according to Al Jazeera. England went the opposite direction: a 3-2 loss to Spain at Wembley in the opener, followed by a 2-0 win over a 10-man Czechia side in Prague, per Goal.com.

Spain leads Group A3 with six points. Czechia sits at the bottom. Whoever wins Saturday pulls level on points with the chasing pack and keeps the pressure on Spain for the final group-phase games.

The Rivalry

This is the sixth meeting between these two countries in eight years, according to Sports Illustrated. Croatia's high-water mark came in the 2018 World Cup semifinal, a 2-1 extra-time win that sent Croatia to the final, per tapmad. England has won every meeting since, including a 4-2 win in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup on June 17 in Arlington, Texas, where Harry Kane scored twice and Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham added goals.

Overall head-to-head: England has won seven of 12 all-time meetings, Croatia three, with two draws, according to tapmad. England has outscored Croatia 22-13 across those matches.

The Players to Watch

Luka Modric is still running Croatia's midfield at 41 years old. He scored the opener in Croatia's win over Czechia and remains, according to Al Jazeera, "the heartbeat" of the side. Ivan Perisic has chipped in with back-to-back assists.

For England, the formula has repeated itself twice now: Anthony Gordon opens the scoring, Harry Kane follows. Gordon has five assists for Barcelona this season; Kane has scored six times for Bayern Munich, according to Al Jazeera's reporting. Neither was enough to beat Spain, but it got the job done against Czechia.

Coaching Pressure

Thomas Tuchel isn't getting a honeymoon. England finished third at the 2026 World Cup in North America, but Sports Illustrated reports Tuchel is still under real pressure after what the outlet calls "disastrous defensive substitutions" against Argentina in the semifinal cost England a place in the final. England beat France 6-4 in the third-place playoff and then lost an entertaining 3-2 shootout to Spain at Wembley to open this Nations League campaign, suggesting the attack is humming but the back line still leaks goals.

Slaven Bilic is in his second spell as Croatia manager and, per Sports Illustrated, is "still finding his feet." Croatia's 4-1 collapse against Spain will raise questions about whether that defensive composure returns against an England side that just scored six against France.

Injuries and Team News

Croatia will be without center-back Martin Erlic, out injured until mid-October, and right-back Josip Juranovic, sidelined with illness, according to Al Jazeera and 234 Radio. Martin Baturina and Modric himself are expected back after missing the Spain game, per tapmad.

England has its own absentee list. Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento have all withdrawn through injury, according to tapmad, forcing Tuchel into squad reshuffling just as he tries to shore up a defense that's conceded three goals in two Nations League matches combined.

Neither Croatia nor England has confirmed a final starting lineup as of Friday. Predicted XIs circulating from Goal.com and tapmad differ on personnel, particularly at full-back for England and in Croatia's midfield rotation, underscoring that team news from both camps remains unsettled less than 24 hours before kickoff.

A Croatia win would hand Tuchel his second loss in three Nations League matches and intensify scrutiny on his defensive setup. An England win would put Spain on notice with three group games left to play.