Luka Modric, Croatia's most-capped player, has expressed deep shame over his country's 7-0 thrashing at the hands of England in their third UEFA Nations League 2026 Group A3 match, played in Rijeka on 4 October 2026. The defeat is Croatia's heaviest ever and came against an England side who are FIFA World Cup 2026 bronze medallists.

Modric's Damning Verdict

Making his record 205th appearance for Croatia, Modric was left visibly shattered by the scale of the loss. Speaking after the match, he did not hold back. 'You can't play football like that… we looked like we had four or five players less,' he said, as quoted by the BBC. 'It is difficult to find an explanation for such a performance without duels, fouls, aggressiveness, and togetherness.'

The veteran midfielder went further, invoking his two-decade international career to contextualise his anguish. 'I've been here for 20 years, but for the first time I feel ashamed after a game,' Modric added. 'You can lose or play against an opponent who is better — and they are right now. But in any case, losing like this and squandering the reputation we've built over the years is unacceptable.'

How England Dismantled Croatia

Harry Kane opened the scoring in the 8th minute after Jude Bellingham released him through on goal. Bellingham then converted from close range in the 21st minute after Anthony Gordon kept Bukayo Saka's cross alive. Gordon himself headed in a third six minutes before half-time, before Saka added a fourth on the stroke of the interval following a swift counter-attack — sending England into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.

After the restart, Kane completed his brace by converting an Elliot Anderson cross, and Saka netted his second of the night to make it 6-0. Substitute Morgan Rogers completed the rout three minutes from time, latching onto a long ball from Bellingham and finishing past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

Croatia's Alarming Slide

The result marked England's second win over Croatia in 2026, following their earlier victory over the same opponents in Dallas at the FIFA World Cup. Croatia had begun manager Bilic's second spell in charge promisingly, beating the Czech Republic 2-1 away from home to go top of Group A3. That momentum evaporated quickly — a 4-1 defeat away to world champions Spain preceded Saturday's calamity, leaving Croatia third in the group and in genuine danger of relegation from the Nations League's top tier.

What Happens Next

Croatia face a significant test of character in their remaining group fixtures if they are to avoid the drop. The Nations League structure means the bottom-placed side in the group faces a relegation play-off, raising the stakes considerably for Bilic's squad. For England, the result consolidates their position in Group A3 and underlines the team's attacking depth, with four different scorers on the night. Modric, at the heart of Croatian football for two decades, now faces the prospect of fighting to preserve the legacy his generation spent years building.