England delivered their finest display under Thomas Tuchel in Rijeka on Saturday, dismantling Croatia 7-0 in a UEFA Nations League group fixture that set a new historic low for the hosts — their heaviest defeat on home soil, and the first time any side had put more than four past them on their own patch.

The result arrives weeks after the heartache of a semi-final exit to Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and it served as a timely reminder of what this England squad is capable of when everything clicks into place.

An electric front four

England's attacking quartet was relentless from the first whistle — sharp, direct, and clinical. The full-backs spent far more time creating danger than defending it, a sign of how thoroughly Croatia were overrun. Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott, the latter making his first start for the senior side, dominated midfield against opponents who carried far more international experience.

Croatia — an ageing group bearing little resemblance to the sides that once threatened world football — managed only a glaring miss from Mateo Kovacic after England had already raced to 3-0.