ADVERTISEMENT
Second half begins
Key moments
Tactical keys and bench options for the second half
England have shaded the dangerous attacks 29 to 18 with a 91% pass accuracy, yet Croatia have won 29 duels to 21 to stay in contention. After the break, the hosts can turn to Morgan Gibbs-White for extra spark in the final third, while Croatia may look to Lovro Majer to unlock the defence.
- Completed passes (accuracy): England 310 (91%) – 275 (89%) Croatia
- Duels won: England 21 – 29 Croatia
- Dangerous attacks: England 29 – 18 Croatia
First-half stats: England 1-0 Croatia
England head into half-time with a clinical 1-0 lead over Croatia at Wembley thanks to Morgan Rogers' 24th-minute strike, assisted by Jude Bellingham. The hosts carried the greater threat inside the box with 53% possession and eight shots to Croatia's five, as reflected in the first-half statistical breakdown for England vs Croatia.
- Ball possession: England 53% – 47% Croatia
- Total shots (on target): England 8 (1) – 5 (2) Croatia
- Big chances: England 1 – 0 Croatia
- Corners: England 2 – 3 Croatia
End of the first half
The first half is over! The referee blew his whistle exactly at the 45-minute mark and has sent the teams off to the locker rooms. For now, England is leading Croatia by a single goal thanks to Morgan Rogers' goal.
Last five minutes of the first half
The game continues to unfold. There are only five minutes left in the first half, which hasn't seen much time-wasting. Croatia remains pinned back in its own half, unable to make any headway in creating an attacking opportunity.
Final stretch of the first half
There are 10 minutes left in the first half of the match... England continues to control the ball, and it's becoming much harder for Croatia to win possession and create any danger. For now, things are looking much more comfortable for the home team.
We've reached the half-hour mark...
We're now 30 minutes into the game at Wembley Stadium. England is going all out on the attack, constantly sending in crosses to put pressure on the Croatian team's center backs. The home team still holds a 1-0 lead.
As we approach the half-hour mark...
We're approaching the 30-minute mark of the game. So far, Harry Kane has been the team's most influential player; he's the one through whom all the passes go, even when initiating offensive plays. Croatia has dropped back deeper into its own half.
Goal!
Goal! Goal! Goal for England! Morgan Rogers scores! The first goal of the match has been scored at Wembley Stadium. The forward opened the scoring with a shot in front of the net, taking advantage of confusion in the Croatian defense. Livakovic was unable to stop the shot.
We're 20 minutes into the game at Wembley
We're 20 minutes into the game at Wembley. England has taken control of the passing game in Croatia's half. Croatia hasn't been able to regain possession and is sitting back a bit more. The score is still 0-0.
We've reached the first quarter-hour of the match
We've reached the first quarter-hour of the match. England is starting to show gradual improvement and is no longer allowing Croatia to dominate the play. Elliot Anderson has created a couple of scoring chances with two shots, but he hasn't found the net.
The game continues to unfold
The game continues to unfold. We’ve reached the 10-minute mark, and so far it hasn’t been very eventful, even though England is starting to break out a bit more from the defensive shell it’s been in. There are still no goals and no dangerous plays.
First minutes
We're five minutes into the match. Croatia hasn't come out to play it safe and is trying to establish itself in England's half by maintaining more possession. We'll see if this momentum lasts for a while or if the home team regains control.
Match starts!
The match is underway! Referee Morten Krogh blows the opening whistle, and the match between England and Croatia is now underway. We continue with Matchday 5 of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. We'll see which team comes away with the three points.
Match officials
The England vs. Croatia match will be officiated by Danish referee Morten Krogh. He will be assisted by Victor Skytte and Steffen Bramsen, with Jens Maae serving as the fourth official; all of them are also from Denmark.
In the video referee room, German Bastian Dankert is serving as the VAR, alongside Danish Jakob Kehlet as his assistant.
Teams on the field
The teams are taking the field! The players from England and Croatia are making their way onto the field at Wembley Stadium to kick off this match. The ceremonial proceedings are about to begin, and the national anthems of both teams will be played.
Substitutes - Croatia
12. Ivor Pandur (🧤), 23. Dominik Kotarski (🧤), 5. Duje Caleta-Car, 6. Niko Galesic, 18. Simun Hrgovic, 7. Lovro Majer, 10. Luka Modric, 15. Mario Pasalic, 9. Dion Drena Beljo, 11. Ante Budimir, 19. Marco Pasalic, 21. Marin Soticek.
Starting XI - Croatia
1. Dominik Livakovic (🧤); 2. Josip Stanisic, 3. Luka Vuskovic, 4. Josko Gvardiol; 14. Ivan Smolcic, 22. Josip Misic, 8. Mateo Kovacic, 13. Nikola Vlasic; 17. Petar Sucic, 16. Martin Baturina; 20. Igor Matanovic.
Coach: Slaven Bilic.
Substitutes - England
13. James Trafford (🧤), 23. Jason Steele (🧤), 12. Ben White, 14. James Hill, 15. Jarrad Branthwaite, 7. Morgan Gibbs-White, 16. Jobe Bellingham, 18. James Garner, 21. Eberechi Eze, 22. Joshua King, 19. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 20. Rio Ngumoha.
Starting XI - England
1. Jordan Pickford (🧤); 2. Trent Alexander-Arnold, 6. Jarell Quansah, 5. Dan Burn, 3. Lewis Hall; 8. Elliot Anderson, 4. Declan Rice, 10. Jude Bellingham; 17. Morgan Rogers, 9. Harry Kane, 11. Anthony Gordon.
Coach: Thomas Tuchel.
All set at the Wembley Stadium
Everything is ready at Wembley Stadium. The field is in good condition, and the main players in this match are already putting the finishing touches on their preparations. Fans are gradually beginning to fill the stands at this venue.
Recent meetings between England and Croatia
Across their last 2 official clashes, per the historical England vs Croatia results and live stats, the balance stands at 2 wins for England, 0 draws and 0 wins for Croatia:
- 2026: Croatia 0–7 England
- 2026: England 4–2 Croatia
Squad List - Croatia
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Dominik Kotarski and Ivor Pandur.
Defenders: Josko Gvardiol, Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Duje Caleta-Car, Marin Pongracic, Luka Vuskovic, Ivan Smolcic, Niko Galesic, Kristijan Jakic and Simun Hrgovic.
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Luka Sucic, Petar Sucic, Martin Baturina, Josip Misic, and Lovro Majer.
Forwards: Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Igor Matanovic, Marco Pasalic, Dion Drena Beljo, Marin Soticek, and Ivan Perisic.
Squad List - England
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford and Jason Steele.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben White, Djed Spence, Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah, Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Hall, Dan Burn and James Hill.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, James Garner, Morgan Rogers, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Jobe Bellingham and Josh King.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Rio Ngumoha.
Key player - Croatia
In Croatia, Ivan Perisic stands out. The 37-year-old is one of the team's most outstanding players so far in the UEFA Nations League, where he has one goal and two assists in four matches, having played a total of 331 minutes.
Key player - England
In England, Harry Kane stands out. The 33-year-old English forward is one of the team's most outstanding players so far in the UEFA Nations League. The current Ballon d'Or winner has six goals and two assists in four matches, in which he has played a total of 305 minutes.
The match will be played at the Wembley Stadium
The England vs Croatia match will be played at Wembley Stadium, located in London, England. This venue, one of the most iconic in the United Kingdom and the world, opened in 2007 and has a capacity of 90,000 spectators.
Tune in here England vs Croatia Live Score with VAVEL!
We will soon share with you the starting lineups for the England vs Croatia live match, as well as the latest information from the Wembley Stadium. Don't miss a single detail of the live match updates and commentary from VAVEL's coverage.
How to watch England vs Croatia Live Stream, TV Channel & Kick-off Times
Here are the official kick-off times, TV channels and live stream options to watch England vs Croatia in UEFA Nations League across major English-speaking regions:
- USA: 2:45 PM EST / 11:45 AM PST - TV & Live Stream on ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock, fuboTV.
- UK & Ireland: 7:45 PM GMT - Watch live on Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Discovery+.
- South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda): 9:45 PM SAST (8:45 PM WAT in Nigeria / 10:45 PM EAT in Kenya & Uganda) - Broadcast on SuperSport, DStv Stream.
- Canada: 2:45 PM EST / 11:45 AM PST - Live streaming on DAZN Canada, FuboTV Canada, TSN.
- Australia & New Zealand: 6:45 AM AEDT (8:45 AM NZDT in New Zealand) - Watch live on Optus Sport, beIN Sports Australia, Stan Sport.
- UAE & MENA (Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar): 11:45 PM GST (10:45 PM AST in Saudi Arabia & Qatar) - Broadcast on beIN Sports English, TOD.
- India, Malaysia & Singapore: 1:15 AM IST (3:45 AM MYT/SGT in Malaysia & Singapore) - Watch on Sony LIV, Star Sports (India), Astro SuperSport (Malaysia).
For real-time England vs Croatia live score updates, confirmed starting lineups, match stats and minute-by-minute commentary, follow VAVEL right here.
England
The English national team heads into this match in the thick of the battle for first place in its group in League A of the UEFA Nations League. The team coached by Thomas Tuchel currently sits in second place in Group A3 with nine points after four matches, and a goal difference of +11 following its rout of Croatia on the road.
The stakes in this match are high as the teams fight to secure a spot in the next round. The English team needs to earn three points at Wembley to secure their spot in the quarterfinals, but also to keep alive their hopes of competing for the top spot on the final matchday.
Croatia
Croatia heads into this game needing a win to secure its place in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League and avoid relegation. The Balkan team is currently in third place in Group A3 with just three points, earned in its match against the Czech Republic.
After three consecutive losses, the outlook for Slaven Bilic’s team is quite bleak, given that their aspirations were much higher at the start of the season. Although their goal differential stands at -10, the most important thing now will be to secure a win that will give them some breathing room before the final matchday.
Hello to all VAVEL readers!
Welcome to the live broadcast of the England vs Croatia match, part of Matchday 5 of Group A3 in League A of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, which will take place at the Wembley Stadium.
My name is Jhonatan Martinez and I will be your host for this match. We will bring you pre-match analysis, score updates and live news here on VAVEL.
England vs Croatia live from Wembley Stadium in London in UEFA Nations League Group A3 (kick-off 7:45pm GMT, live on ITV1 and ITVX). Follow minute-by-minute score updates, stats and confirmed team news as Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions (England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Burn, Hall; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Gordon; Harry Kane) take on Croatia (Livaković; Stanišić, Vušković, Gvardiol, Smolčić; Kovačić, Mišić, P. Sučić; Baturina, Vlašić; Matanović) for a quarter-final spot.
The second half is underway! The referee blows his whistle to signal the start of the second half at Wembley Stadium. So far, neither team has made any substitutions, so the original 22 starters remain on the field.