Thomas Tuchel is acutely aware that the painful semi‑final loss to Argentina at the World Cup will linger over his tenure for years to come, casting a long shadow that will extend through the Euro 2028 cycle and beyond. Yet the crushing 7‑0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka on Saturday offered a striking reminder that his England project can still produce moments of brilliance. The result was historic for several reasons: it marked Croatia's heaviest defeat ever, and no visiting side had ever managed to score more than four goals on Croatian soil. While the Nations League cannot be equated with the intensity of a World Cup knockout match, and Croatia’s current squad lacks the firepower of the sides that reached the finals in 2018, the performance was nonetheless a statement of intent.
England’s display was described by the manager, the players and pundits as "complete" – a term that captures the balance between defensive solidity, midfield control and an attacking onslaught that left the opposition reeling. In the previous fixtures, England’s encouraging win over Spain was marred by defensive lapses, and the victory against the Czech Republic was influenced heavily by a first‑half dismissal.
By contrast, the Croatia game was a pure, unambiguous exhibition of quality. The front four – Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden – moved with a lethal combination of speed and precision, creating chances at will.
In midfield, Elliot Anderson and debutant Alex Scott commanded the centre of the park, out‑muscling their more experienced Croatian counterparts and dictating the tempo from the first whistle. Even when Mateo Kovačić struck a spectacular effort that could have reduced the deficit to three, Croatia were otherwise unable to threaten England’s goal.
The English full‑backs, rather than being tied up in defensive duties, were free to surge forward, overlapping and delivering crosses that further stretched the already thin Croatian defence. Rob Dorsett of Sky Sports summed up the spectacle perfectly: "When England are rampaging all over the pitch like this, winning back possession when they have no right to do so, passing forward at every opportunity and finishing ruthlessly, there is no better team in world football to watch." The sentiment was echoed by Tuchel, who called the win "fantastic" and praised the "speed, technical quality and hunger off the ball" as being "on the very highest level" from start to finish. Tuchel’s pre‑break squad announcement had been his first press conference since the World Cup, and he used the platform to stress that the experiences shared in North America – the qualifying campaign, the tournament itself and the collective highs and lows – would be the foundation for future success.
At the time, many English supporters were still raw from criticism of Tuchel’s tactical choices in the Argentina match and his comments about the "DNA" of English players. However, the Rijeka performance suggested that the bond he spoke of was beginning to translate into on‑field cohesion. When asked why the team clicked so effortlessly against Croatia, Tuchel replied, "I just believe we have now a lot of experience together.
We had a qualifying campaign together, we had a big tournament together, we have big positive emotions together, we lived through them together, we had big pain together. We just get to know each other better, know the players better and know what to demand and how to motivate. It was a good spirit from the start of the camp and it's nice to see that it builds up.
It was a day where every puzzle piece fell into place." Looking ahead, Tuchel cautioned that the upcoming match against the Czech Republic at Wembley will present a different kind of test and warned fans against expecting another seven‑goal rout. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the 7‑0 win has raised expectations for the next Nations League fixture. The real litmus test will arrive on November 15, when England travel to face the reigning world champions, Spain, in Madrid. That encounter will likely determine whether the optimism surrounding Tuchel’s side is justified or merely a fleeting high.
A victory in Madrid could cement England’s place in the Nations League quarter‑finals and reinforce the narrative that the team is on a progressive trajectory toward major trophies. Conversely, a poor performance would reignite doubts about whether the lessons from past failures have truly been internalised.
The outcome will shape the mood throughout the winter months, influencing both public perception and the players’ confidence heading into the next phase of international football. For the moment, however, the emphatic thrashing of Croatia – achieved in a modest stadium filled with schoolchildren – offers a much‑needed morale boost. It reminds supporters that, despite recent setbacks, England under Tuchel can still produce football of the highest calibre, delivering excitement and hope for the future.