England Blitz Croatia 4-0 as Bellingham Shines in Nations League

England produced one of the most explosive first halves of their recent history on Saturday, racing to a 4-0 lead away to Croatia in the Nations League. By the time the whistle went for the interval at the Rujevica stadium in Rijeka, the visitors had already settled the contest, with Jude Bellingham at the centre of almost everything.

The opening goal arrived in the eighth minute and came directly from Croatian hesitation. Josko Gvardiol, the defender who plays his club football in England, was caught in possession deep in his own half. Bellingham read the moment instantly, sliding a pass into the path of Harry Kane, and England’s captain did the rest, taking a touch inside the penalty area and firing past the goalkeeper.

Croatia barely had time to reorganise before the lead doubled. Bukayo Saka, a constant threat on the right, delivered a cross towards the far post, and Anthony Gordon cushioned the ball back across goal with a neat first touch. Bellingham arrived to convert, turning provider into scorer and underlining his growing influence in this England side.

Gordon then swapped roles again. A cross from the right found him at the back post, and the winger headed home to make it 3-0, completing a goal and an assist inside the opening 40 minutes. It capped a remarkable run of form: Gordon has now scored in all three of England’s Nations League matches this season, adding to goals against the Czech Republic and Spain, and he also found the net in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina during the summer.

There was still time for a fourth before the break. England broke at speed, and Bellingham, drifting to the left edge of the box, produced a sequence of feints that left Luka Modric — the veteran Croatian playmaker and former Ballon d’Or winner — grasping at air. The cutback that followed was measured perfectly, and Saka tapped in from close range to complete a first half in which Bellingham finished with two assists and a goal.

Croatia’s best moment came shortly before the interval, and it summed up their evening. Mateo Kovacic pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area, burst past his marker and rounded Jordan Pickford, only to drag his finish wide of an open goal with the net at his mercy. It was the kind of miss that, at 4-0 down, felt almost cruel.

The scale of the scoreline will travel well beyond Croatia. Nations League results shape seedings and confidence heading into major tournaments, and an away performance of this ruthlessness — built on quick transitions, aggressive pressing and the link between Bellingham, Saka and Gordon — gives England’s coaching staff plenty of encouragement. For Croatia, a team that has long punched above its weight in international football, the challenge now is to regroup before the return fixtures.

For neutral viewers, the headline act was Bellingham. Still in his early twenties, he has become the player through whom England’s best attacks flow, capable of scoring and creating in the same movement. If he maintains this level, the debate about England’s most important player may already be settled.