Croatia vs England LIVE – Confirmed starting lineups & pre-match updates for UEFA Nations League 2026-27 clash

Croatia national football team will go head-to-head against the England national football team for their third group stage outing of the UEFA Nations League 2026-27. This high-voltage fixture is all set to take place at Stadion HNK Rijeka.

The Vatreni are coming after facing a dominant 1-4 defeat at the hands of the world champions Spain in their last matchup. They were stunned after conceding an early goal, which ultimately piled pressure on them. The Croatia national football team levelled the scoreline, but it only lasted for three minutes, until La Roja took the lead once again.

The Slaven Bilić-led side never recovered and conceded two more goals in the second half. Their performance was completely underwhelming. They will not be looking to repeat the same mistakes this time around. Croatia are going to be the hosts and will be eager to jump back to winning ways.

After losing their opening UEFA Nations League 2026-27 fixture against Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, England made a strong comeback and went on to secure a 2-0 win against the Czech Republic in their following fixture. England completely controlled the tempo of the game and did not allow many chances to their opponents.

They also managed a clean sheet after a composed performance in the backline. Even though the England national football team will be away from home, they are going to be confident and will be looking to extend their winning run now. The Englishman took down Luka Modric and company during the 2026 World Cup and will be keen to secure a similar result this time around as well.

Players to Watch

Ivan Perišić (Croatia)

Even though he failed to engrave his name on the scoresheet, Ivan Perišić was one of the consistent stars for the Croatia national football team in their 1-4 loss against the Spaniards. He bagged a crucial assist and his work rate on the left flank was good. The 37-year-old will be looking to come up with another top performance.

Anthony Gordon (England)

Anthony Gordon opened the scoring for England in their previous Nations League outing against Czechia. Having created the most chances (4) and taken the most shots (4), the 25-year-old winger was a complete engine in the attacking front for the Three Lions. He also had the most touches (11) in the opposition box and, with that, he kept the Czech Republic’s defence at an edge.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.