Croatia vs England Prediction, Tips & Correct Score
Croatia vs England closes England's September-October double window on Saturday 3 October 2026, 17:00 BST, and it is unlike any other fixture in Group A3: it will be played in an almost completely empty Stadion Rujevica in Rijeka. A UEFA sanction has shut the ground to Croatian supporters, and only 100 England fans were granted late access after an appeal by the FA.
This is also a rematch. England beat Croatia 4-2 in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup just over three months ago - and Croatia arrive here under a brand-new manager, Slaven Bilic, playing their third match in eight days. Below: verified team news, the full head-to-head record, the venue history, our tips table and a final Croatia vs England correct score prediction.
Croatia vs England: match facts at a glance
Detail | Confirmed information |
Fixture | Croatia vs England |
Competition | UEFA Nations League A - Group A3, Matchday 3 |
Date & kick-off | Saturday 3 October 2026, 17:00 BST / 18:00 CEST |
Venue | Stadion Rujevica (Stadion HNK Rijeka), Rijeka, Croatia |
Capacity | 8,279 - but the match is closed to the public |
Attendance | Behind closed doors; 100 England supporters permitted |
Croatia head coach | Slaven Bilic (appointed 13 July 2026) |
England head coach | Thomas Tuchel |
FIFA ranking | England 4th, Croatia 13th (ranking of 20 July 2026) |
Last meeting | England 4-2 Croatia, World Cup group stage, 17 June 2026 |
Our prediction | Croatia 0-2 England |
Sources: the UEFA fixture list, the Croatian Football Federation and the FA. Ranking per FIFA's most recent release.
Why Croatia vs England is behind closed doors
This is the single biggest factor in the match and it has nothing to do with form. UEFA ordered Croatia to play a home fixture behind closed doors and banned their travelling support from one away game, alongside a 93,000 euro fine and an order to pay for damage caused at the Stade de France. The sanction follows crowd trouble at Croatia's Nations League quarter-final against France in March 2025 (full background here).
The closed-doors game is this one. Croatia's away-fan ban applied to their trip to Czechia on 26 September. After an appeal by the FA, UEFA softened the ruling slightly and allowed 100 England Supporters Travel Club members into the ground (UEFA's revised decision). No general tickets were sold. An 8,279-capacity stadium will hold roughly 100 visiting fans and nobody else.
England have done this before, in this exact stadium. On 12 October 2018 they drew 0-0 with Croatia at an empty Rujevica in the Nations League, under a different UEFA sanction (the FA's match report). It was a flat, cagey game decided by nothing. That is the obvious template for this fixture, and it matters for the goals markets.
Croatia team news: Bilic's first competitive window
Croatia are in genuine transition. Zlatko Dalic resigned on 8 July 2026 after nine years and a World Cup Round of 32 exit (report). Slaven Bilic was appointed on 13 July 2026, unanimously approved by the HNS Executive Committee - his second spell in the job after 2006-2012 (official announcement).
Bilic named a 26-man squad on 7 September (full list). The headline is that Luka Modric has not retired. He turned 41 on 9 September and remains available, but Bilic has said publicly that he will be rotated and will not start all four matches in this window. Croatia play Czechia away on 26 September and Spain away on 29 September before England arrive - so this is their third game in eight days, and the one where a 41-year-old is most likely to be rested or used from the bench.
Croatia - key names | Club | Why they matter |
Luka Modric | AC Milan | Captain, 41. Available but expected to be rotated across the window. |
Josko Gvardiol | Manchester City | Defensive leader who knows most of this England attack from the Premier League. |
Mateo Kovacic | Manchester City | Midfield control; ex-Chelsea. |
Ante Budimir | Osasuna | Scored the winner against Panama at the World Cup. |
Martin Baturina | Como | Scored against England in June. |
Petar Sucic | Inter | Scored against Ghana; part of the new midfield generation. |
Nikola Vlasic | Torino | Winner against Ghana; ex-Everton and West Ham. |
Ivan Perisic | PSV | Scored Croatia's goal in the World Cup exit to Portugal. |
Dominik Livakovic | Barcelona | First-choice goalkeeper. |
Squad and clubs per the Croatian Football Federation announcement of 7 September 2026.
Two caveats we are being straight about. First, no credible source had modelled a Croatia starting XI at the time of writing, so we are not publishing a predicted line-up. Second, Croatia had not played a match since 2 July when this window opened - Czechia away was Bilic's first game in charge. A brand-new coach after a 12-week gap is a real unknown, and it cuts both ways.
England team news: five withdrawals, two call-ups
Thomas Tuchel lost five players on 21 September. Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento all withdrew through injury; James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White were called in (FA squad updates). No further senior withdrawals had been announced as of 25 September.
England - status | Players |
Withdrawn (injury) | Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Tino Livramento |
Called up as replacements | James Garner (Everton), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) |
Available and in form | Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka |
Not selected | Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke, Reece James |
Per the FA's official squad-update page, last amended 21 September 2026.
Harry Kane arrives in absurd form. On 19 September he became the fastest player in history to 100 Bundesliga goals, reaching the mark in 98 games and scoring twice in Bayern's 7-0 win over Union Berlin (Bundesliga report). Jude Bellingham has 3 goals and 2 assists in 8 appearances for Real Madrid this season. Neither carries a fitness flag. If you want the model output on games like this rather than our summary of it, the lightest entry point is Mad Football - Telegram Access.
Form guide: how both teams got here
England finished third at the 2026 World Cup, beating France 6-4 in the bronze-medal match. Croatia went out in the Round of 32, losing 2-1 to Portugal to a stoppage-time Goncalo Ramos header (match report). In the most recent FIFA ranking, published on 20 July 2026, England sit fourth and Croatia 13th (FIFA rankings).
Date | Match | Result |
18 Jul 2026 | France 4-6 England | England W - World Cup bronze-medal match |
15 Jul 2026 | England 1-2 Argentina | England L - World Cup semi-final |
11 Jul 2026 | Norway 1-2 England (aet) | England W - World Cup quarter-final |
2 Jul 2026 | Portugal 2-1 Croatia | Croatia L - World Cup Round of 32 |
27 Jun 2026 | Croatia 2-1 Ghana | Croatia W - World Cup group stage |
23 Jun 2026 | Panama 0-1 Croatia | Croatia W - World Cup group stage |
17 Jun 2026 | England 4-2 Croatia | England W - World Cup group stage |
2 Jun 2026 | Croatia 0-2 Belgium (Rujevica) | Croatia L - friendly |
Scorelines cross-checked against FIFA, Sky Sports and ESPN match reports rather than aggregator tables, which reverse results surprisingly often.
The number that shapes this preview: England have conceded in six of their last seven matches. That is a sharp break from qualifying, where they won all eight games and kept a clean sheet in every one. Their attack has been excellent - 20 goals in eight World Cup matches - but the back line is no longer airtight.
England's away record under Tuchel tells the opposite story. Four competitive away matches, four wins, four clean sheets - Latvia 3-0, Andorra 1-0, Serbia 2-0, Albania 2-0. All three of Tuchel's defeats came at home or on neutral ground. Read our companion previews of England vs Spain at Wembley and Czechia vs England in Prague for how the rest of this group is shaping up.
Croatia vs England head-to-head record
Twelve senior meetings: England W7, D2, Croatia W3, goals 23-15 to England (full record). Croatia have not beaten England since the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
Date | Match | Score | Competition |
17 Jun 2026 | England v Croatia | 4-2 | World Cup group stage |
13 Jun 2021 | England v Croatia | 1-0 | Euro 2020 |
18 Nov 2018 | England v Croatia | 2-1 | Nations League |
12 Oct 2018 | Croatia v England (Rujevica) | 0-0 | Nations League - behind closed doors |
11 Jul 2018 | Croatia v England | 2-1 | World Cup semi-final |
9 Sep 2009 | England v Croatia | 5-1 | World Cup qualifier |
10 Sep 2008 | Croatia v England | 1-4 | World Cup qualifier |
21 Nov 2007 | England v Croatia | 2-3 | Euro qualifier |
11 Oct 2006 | Croatia v England | 2-0 | Euro qualifier |
21 Jun 2004 | Croatia v England | 2-4 | Euro 2004 |
20 Aug 2003 | England v Croatia | 3-1 | Friendly |
24 Apr 1996 | England v Croatia | 0-0 | Friendly |
Head-to-head per the 11v11 England match database; the 2018 Rujevica fixture corroborated by the FA's own report.
Rujevica: the venue record nobody talks about
Croatia are strong here. Before this fixture they had played 11 internationals at Stadion Rujevica and lost only one - 0-2 to Belgium in June 2026. The ground has also hosted three previous closed-doors internationals, so Croatia are unusually experienced at playing in silence on this pitch.
Year | Notable Rujevica results |
2026 | Croatia 0-2 Belgium - their only defeat at the ground |
2025 | Croatia 3-1 Faroe Islands (World Cup qualifier) |
2024 | Croatia 3-0 North Macedonia |
2023 | Croatia 5-0 Latvia (Euro qualifier) |
2021 | Croatia 1-0 Cyprus and 3-0 Malta - both behind closed doors |
2018 | Croatia 0-0 England - behind closed doors |
2017 | Croatia 1-1 Finland |
Venue results compiled from the stadium's international match record; the England and Belgium games independently corroborated.
What the market says - and why there are no prices yet
We are being transparent here rather than inventing numbers. At the time of writing, no bookmaker had published a price for Croatia vs England. Oddschecker's Nations League board only ran as far as the 29 September fixtures (board here), which is normal for a game eight days out in the middle of a double window.
What we can give you is a genuine reference point from the same group, the same window and the same day we checked:
Market (Czechia v England, 29 Sep) | Price | Implied % | Vig-free % |
Czechia win | 11/2 (6.50) | 15.4% | 14.8% |
England win | 1/2 (1.50) | 66.7% | 63.9% |
Draw | 7/2 (4.50) | 22.2% | 21.3% |
Single source: Oddschecker, sampled 25 September 2026. Overround 104.3%. Prices move - always check the live price before backing anything.
Croatia at home are a materially tougher opponent than Czechia at home, so England should be priced shorter than that 63.9% in Prague, but not dramatically so. Our own read, which is an estimate and not a market price, is roughly England 50 per cent, draw 26 per cent, Croatia 24 per cent. The empty stadium is the reason we do not push Croatia higher: home advantage at Rujevica is largely a crowd effect, and there will be no crowd.
Run this fixture through the software yourself
Our tips below are one reading. If you would rather see the model output than our summary of it, these are the tools that cover a European international like this one:
Mad Football Prediction AI Software (82 pounds) - the core match-outcome model.
Daily Football Tips (84 pounds) - a daily selection list if you would rather not read a model at all.
Euro Football Prediction Software (91 pounds) - built for European internationals and club competition, the closest fit for Nations League fixtures.
AI Football for Correct Score (99 pounds) - scoreline distributions, which is exactly what a low-goals game like this one needs.
Correct Score Football Software (132 pounds) - the full correct-score suite.
Browse all football software - the complete catalogue.
Croatia vs England betting tips
Market | Selection | Reasoning | Confidence |
Match result | England win | Nine ranking places, a 4-2 win over this same opponent in June, and no crowd to lift Croatia. Tuchel's side have won all four competitive away games under him. | Medium |
Double chance | Draw or England | The safest expression of the same view. Croatia have won once in five against England since 2018, and this is their third match in eight days. | Medium-High |
Total goals | Under 3.5 goals | Empty stadiums produce flat, controlled games. The 2018 meeting at this ground finished 0-0 and Croatia's forward line is not prolific - Budimir has 7 goals in 41 caps. | Medium |
First half | Under 1.5 first-half goals | Neither side has a reason to open up early, and Croatia are managing minutes for a 41-year-old captain. | Medium |
Both teams to score | No | Directional rather than confident - England have conceded in six of their last seven, so this is the leg we like least of the four above. | Low-Medium |
Correct score | Croatia 0-2 England | Our headline call. Correct score is always a low-probability market - stake accordingly. | Low |
AVOID | England clean sheet as a single, and England -2 on the handicap | The clean sheet contradicts England's own recent record, and -2 needs a three-goal win in a game we expect to be tight. Do not chase either. | Avoid |
Tips are our analysis, not guaranteed outcomes. No price is quoted above because none was published for this fixture at the time of writing.
Croatia vs England prediction and correct score
Our prediction: Croatia 0-2 England.
The logic is straightforward. England are the better team on ranking, on squad depth and on the most recent evidence - a 4-2 win over this Croatia side in June. Croatia are three months into a managerial change, playing their third match in eight days, and the one advantage a home team normally has in Rijeka has been removed by UEFA. Strip out the crowd and you strip out most of what makes Rujevica difficult.
We expect a controlled England performance rather than a thrashing: patient possession, a goal in each half, and a game that never catches fire because there is nobody in the ground to make it. Alternative scorelines we would accept: 1-2, 0-1 and 0-3.
Call | Selection |
Correct score | Croatia 0-2 England |
Alternatives | 1-2, 0-1, 0-3 |
Best-value play | England to win, or the Draw/England double chance for lower variance |
Goals angle | Under 3.5, leaning to Under 2.5 |
Avoid | England clean sheet as a single; England -2 handicap |
The honest risk in this call
Three things could make us wrong, and we would rather say them than bury them.
The clean sheet is the weak leg. England have conceded in six of their last seven matches. Predicting 0-2 means predicting a clean sheet from a defence that has not kept one since the group stage of the World Cup.
The draw is genuinely live. Our own estimate puts it around 26 per cent, and the last competitive meeting at this ground in an empty stadium finished 0-0. A cagey 1-1 or 0-0 is the single most likely way this tip loses.
England are missing five players. Rice, Palmer, Rashford, Mainoo and Livramento is not a trivial list - Rice in particular is the player who controls exactly the kind of game we are forecasting.
There is also a scheduling quirk worth noting: England play Czechia at Wembley three days later, on 6 October. If the Rijeka game is safe by the hour mark, expect rotation - which caps the scoreline rather than extending it. That is another reason we have no interest in the -2 handicap.
Croatia vs England FAQ
When is Croatia vs England and what time does it kick off?
Saturday 3 October 2026 at 17:00 BST (18:00 CEST), at Stadion Rujevica in Rijeka. It is Matchday 3 of UEFA Nations League A, Group A3 (UEFA fixture list).
Why is Croatia vs England being played behind closed doors?
UEFA sanctioned Croatia over crowd trouble at their Nations League quarter-final against France in March 2025. The punishment included one home match behind closed doors, a one-match away-supporter ban and a 93,000 euro fine. This is the closed-doors fixture.
Can England fans attend?
Only 100. After an appeal by the FA, UEFA allowed a small delegation of England Supporters Travel Club members in (details). No general tickets were sold.
Who is Croatia's manager now?
Slaven Bilic. He was appointed on 13 July 2026 after Zlatko Dalic resigned following the World Cup, and this is his second spell in charge of Croatia (Croatian FA announcement).
Has Luka Modric retired from international football?
No. He turned 41 in September 2026 and remains in the squad, but Bilic has said he will be rotated and will not start every match in this window, so his involvement against England is not guaranteed.
What is the England vs Croatia head-to-head record?
Twelve meetings: England have won seven, drawn two and lost three, scoring 23 and conceding 15. England won the most recent meeting 4-2 at the 2026 World Cup (Sky Sports report).
What is your Croatia vs England prediction?
Croatia 0-2 England. For lower variance we prefer the Draw/England double chance with Under 3.5 goals. Our full reasoning, including where the call is weakest, is in the sections above. You can also read our Portugal vs Wales Nations League analysis and check England's official fixture list for the rest of the group.
Responsible gambling
Predictions are analysis, not certainties. Only ever stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, never chase a losing bet, and treat every tip on this page as one input among many. If gambling is stopping being fun, free and confidential support is available at BeGambleAware.org. Over-18s only.
Article researched and written on 25 September 2026. Team news, odds and player availability change - re-check before the 3 October kick-off.