Thomas Tuchel hugged his coaching colleague Slaven Bilic before the game even ended. England's 7-0 win over Croatia in the Nations League was a show of force. “Fantastic” was his team’s performance, said Tuchel after the memorable evening in Rijeka. Midfield driver Jude Bellingham and double goalscorer Harry Kane were particularly celebrated. And the FC Bayern star could write the next chapter of football history in just a few days.
Kane can draw level with Shilton
This performance was “unbelievable,” said Kane. “From beginning to end.” There has been talk for a long time that the Three Lions need to deliver a consistent performance over 90 minutes. They would have done that this time - and how impressively. Kane himself opened the show with the opening goal in the 8th minute and added a second goal in the second half. He could play his 125th international match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday and thus draw level with England's record holder Peter Shilton. "That would be nice," said the Munich player.
After Kane was substituted in the 70th minute, former Dortmund player Bellingham took over the captain's armband. The 23-year-old from Real Madrid contributed a goal and three assists to the worst defeat in Croatia's international history. It looked as if “a grown man was playing against small children,” analyzed Roy Keane, the former midfield star of Manchester United, as an expert on ITV. “Bellingham can become one of the greatest players of all time,” said the Irishman.
Tuchel was asked after the game whether Bellingham had reached a new level. “Yes, it seems that way at the moment,” he said. “You always have to. You can never stand still." Otherwise other teams would catch up.
“Will always have a scar”
Kane as a clipper, Bellingham as a steam maker, Tuchel as an inventor - that's how the English imagine it. After the spectacular 2:3 defeat against world champions Spain and the rather plain 2:0 win in the Czech Republic, the German coach's team now made a special exclamation mark.
With another success against the Czech Republic, the Three Lions would finally be back on course for the quarter-finals of the Nations League. And the recurring questions to Tuchel after the semi-final knockout. There may be fewer at the World Cup this summer. The 2-1 defeat against Argentina, in which the English experienced a disastrous final phase in mid-July, still haunts the 53-year-old and his team.
Dealing with pain and disappointment is part of the “nature of sport,” explained Tuchel. “We will always have a scar,” said the coach. At the beginning, this training camp wasn't necessarily easy, he admitted. But his team always kept going. The “excellent” performance against Spain was not rewarded. When he won in the Czech Republic, his team showed a reaction to the previous disappointing result. And now we have also accepted the unusual circumstances in Croatia.
Unusual setting after fan exclusion
After racist insults against Croatian fans in the Nations League quarter-finals against France in March 2025, UEFA imposed a complete ban on spectators. The Croatian association invited several thousand children and young people to the game on Saturday evening, who were allowed to watch the game free of charge. A measure that UEFA's regulations expressly allow. There were also around 100 English fans in the stadium.
The backdrop was “weird,” said Tuchel. He was happy that the children could see their idols like Croatia's veteran Luka Modric. Overall, the setting was “very, very unusual”. His English were not deterred. They literally overwhelmed the defensively desolate Croatians. And Tuchel hugged his pitiful colleague Bilic before the final whistle.
