Croatia's only shot on target came in first-half stoppage time. England scored seven.
The win put England second in League A Group C on six points, behind Spain on nine. Croatia sit third, with the Czech Republic bottom. England's next listed fixture is against the Czechs on 7 October. England Football's official match centre confirms it was England's second win in the 2026/27 Nations League campaign.
UEFA described the 7-0 result as Croatia's record defeat in the history of the Nations League.
Five scorers turn pressure into seven goals
Harry Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Jude Bellingham played him through. Bellingham made it 2-0 in the 21st minute, finishing Anthony Gordon's delivery. Gordon headed in a rebound in the 39th.
Just before half-time, Bellingham set up Bukayo Saka for England's fourth. Kane scored again in the 53rd minute after a pass from Elliott Anderson. Saka added another in the 68th after Josip Stanišić gave the ball away. Substitute Morgan Rogers completed the scoring in the 87th, converting Bellingham's third assist of the match.
Five players scored for England. Kane and Saka each found the net twice. The wider sports desk has also covered title-deciding contests such as the three-cushion final, but England settled this match with pressure and accurate finishing.
Reuters reported that Jude Bellingham scored once and provided three assists, contributing to four of England's goals. Kane's brace took his tally for England to 89 goals, extending his national scoring record.
Croatia could not recover after the break
Before half-time, Mateo Kovačić had a chance to cut the deficit but missed with the goal open. Croatia coach Slaven Bilić made three changes in succession after the interval. England scored again eight minutes into the second half and kept punishing mistakes.
That was the night. England controlled the contest and turned that control into a 7-0 win. The final score showed the gap between the teams on the day. England leave with a major boost in the group. Croatia's only shot on target came in stoppage time.
UEFA and Reuters confirmed the seven-goal win in Rijeka. Thomas Tuchel called the performance "very impressive" and the team "very, very clinical." Kane said England's pace, movement and freedom in attack made the difference, according to post-match reaction coverage from Reuters and England Football.
