Croatia captain Luka Modrić said he felt “ashamed” after his side suffered a record 7-0 defeat by England in the UEFA Nations League, describing it as a “catastrophic night”. Modrić said it was the first time in his 20-year international career that he had felt that way after a match.
The 41-year-old also warned that Croatia had damaged the reputation the national team had built over many years. England scored four times before half-time at Stadion HNK Rijeka, with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka putting the visitors in control.
Kane scored again after the break before Saka and Morgan Rogers completed the 7-0 victory.
Luka Modrić Calls Croatia’s 7-0 Defeat to England “Unacceptable”
“You can’t play football like that... we looked like we had four or five players less,” Modrić said, according to BBC Sport.
The Croatia captain criticised his team for lacking intensity and cohesion, saying they were missing “duels, fouls, aggressiveness, togetherness”.
“I’ve been here for 20 years, but for the first time I feel ashamed after a game,” he said.
Modrić started the match but was substituted in the 57th minute, with Croatia already 5-0 down. The result was reported as Croatia’s heaviest defeat and England’s biggest win in the Nations League.
The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder accepted that England were the better side but said the scale and manner of the defeat were unacceptable.
“You can lose, or play against an opponent who is better, and they are right now,” Modrić said. “But in any case, losing like this and squandering the reputation we’ve built over the years is unacceptable.”
How England Beat Croatia 7-0 in the Nations League
Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Bellingham created the chance. Bellingham then added England’s second before Gordon and Saka scored before half-time. Kane scored his second in the 53rd minute, while Saka found the net again in the 68th.
Rogers completed the scoring in the 87th minute.
The defeat was Croatia’s third Group A3 result of the campaign. They had started with a 2-1 win over Czechia before losing 4-1 to Spain. England’s victory left Croatia with work to do in the group as they looked to recover from the heavy defeat.
England had also beaten Croatia 4-2 in the 2026 World Cup group stage, making the result in Rijeka their second victory over Croatia that year.
Croatia’s Next Nations League Match After England Defeat
Croatia was scheduled to host Spain in their next Group A3 match on 6 October. They were then due to travel to England on 12 November before hosting Czechia on 15 November. Modrić called on the squad to respond to the defeat instead of making excuses for it.
“We need to pull ourselves together, stay together because a new difficult game awaits us,” he said. “We have to show our true colours, that there is defiance and pride in us, desire, willingness, togetherness, these things cannot be lost overnight.”
The result leaves Croatia needing a response in their next Nations League match.
