Thomas Tuchel is acutely aware that the painful, heavily criticised semi‑final loss to Argentina at the World Cup will loom over him and his squad for months to come, stretching all the way to the Euro 2028 campaign and beyond. Yet, on Saturday in Croatia, England produced a thunderous 7‑0 victory that breathed fresh optimism into the Tuchel project. The margin of victory was historic: it marked Croatia’s heaviest defeat ever, a nation that had never before conceded more than four goals on its own soil.
While the Nations League cannot be equated with the pressure cooker of a World Cup, and the Croatian side—now past its prime and a shadow of the squads that once dazzled—did not offer a top‑tier test, the sheer completeness of England’s performance, as described by the manager, the players and pundits alike, provides a compelling narrative of resurgence. In the previous fixtures, the positives against Spain were clouded by defensive lapses and a noticeable quality gap, while the win over the Czech Republic was tainted by an early red card that disrupted the flow of the game. By contrast, the triumph over Croatia was unequivocally emphatic. The attacking quartet was electric, delivering a relentless barrage that left the opposition scrambling.
Midfielders Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott, the latter on his first start, dominated the central battle against a more experienced Croatian midfield, dictating tempo and creating space. Croatia did have a moment of danger when Mateo Kovačić struck a powerful shot that rattled the cross‑bar at 3‑0, but England’s full‑backs were so active in pushing forward that they spent more time generating chances than defending them. As Sky Sports News correspondent Rob Dorsett observed from the press box, "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 manager himself called it the best performance of his tenure. "It was a fantastic victory.
It's an outstanding result, of course, and the performance underlying this result is just on the highest level, from the first minutes to the last," Tuchel said. He added, "The speed and the technical quality today and the hunger off the ball was on the very highest level." When Tuchel announced his squad for the international break, he used his first press conference since the World Cup to stress that the summer tournament would lay the groundwork for future success.
He spoke of the "brotherhood" forged during the North American campaign and the shared experiences that would be crucial as the team moves forward. At the time, many England supporters found that message hard to swallow, still raw from Tuchel’s late‑stage tactical choices against Argentina and his criticism of the perceived "DNA" of English players. However, the performance in Rijeka suggested that his philosophy was beginning to bear fruit. "I just believe we have now a lot of experience together," Tuchel explained when asked why the team clicked in Croatia.
"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 very different challenge, and he urged fans not to expect another seven‑goal onslaught or a flood of chances in every game.
Nevertheless, the 7‑0 thrashing has set a high benchmark for excitement and raised expectations for the next Nations League encounter. The real test will arrive on November 15, when England travel to face the reigning world champions, Spain, in Madrid.
That fixture will have a far greater impact on the perception of Tuchel’s England and whether the team is truly on an upward trajectory toward glory. By then, England may have already secured a place in the Nations League quarter‑finals, thanks to the points amassed in the group stage, but a victory in Spain will be the litmus test of progress.
A win against the world champions would not only cement England’s standing in the competition but also signal that the lessons learned from past failures have been internalised. It would set the tone for the winter months, influencing confidence and belief as the squad prepares for future major tournaments.
For now, the 7‑0 demolition of Croatia, witnessed in a modest stadium filled with schoolchildren, offers a much‑needed morale boost. It showcases a side capable of playing with speed, technical finesse, and relentless hunger—a combination that, if nurtured, could see England return to the summit of international football.
The journey remains long, but this performance provides a tangible glimpse of what Tuchel’s vision can achieve when all the pieces align. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.