UEFA Nations League 2026/27 · League A · Group 3 · Matchday 3

Croatia vs England Prediction & Betting Tips

Sat, 3 Oct 2026 · 17:00 UK · 18:00 CET/CEST · Rijeka

England's third Group A3 match is a rematch of their 2026 World Cup opener, which England won 4-2. It is played in Rijeka — the same city where these teams drew 0-0 behind closed doors in the 2018 Nations League — with an earlier kick-off than England's other autumn games: 17:00 UK time.

Last reviewed 24 Sept 2026 · Team news and odds change — check again close to kick-off.

🇭🇷 Croatia vs England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Upcoming
Prediction
England avoid defeat
Best bet
Over 2.5 goals (Total goals)
Kick-off
Sat, 3 Oct 2026 · 17:00 UK · 18:00 CET/CEST
Competition
UEFA Nations League 2026/27 · League A · Group 3
Confidence
Low
Super Sub
Depends on bookmaker and market

Checking bookmakers available in your country…

Which bookmakers offer Super Sub in your country?

Our call

Prediction: Croatia 1-2 England

England have won three of the last four meetings that produced a winner, including the 4-2 at the World Cup. Croatia at home, with the group possibly on the line, are a tougher proposition than at the tournament.

The World Cup game and England's scoring rate at the tournament point to goals; over 2.5 is our lean, with England or draw the safer result angle.

1X2

lean England or draw.

Goals

over 2.5 lean — six goals in the World Cup meeting, and England's tournament games averaged just over three goals.

BTTS

lean Yes.

Best betting angles

  • Total goals

    Confidence: Low

    Over 2.5

    Six goals in the World Cup meeting; England's attack averaged 14.5 shots per game.

  • Double chance

    Confidence: Low

    England or draw

    England beat Croatia at the World Cup and are ranked higher.

Live prices

Croatia vs England odds

Live 1X2 prices from licensed bookmakers, refreshed every few minutes. Prices move with team news — compare before you bet and check the bookmaker's own terms.

🇪🇺

Live Odds — UEFA Nations League

Live 1X2 odds via The Odds API · Updated every 5 min · 18+ only

Loading odds…

Odds provided by The Odds API · Bookmakers based on your location · 18+ · Please gamble responsibly

Form & tactics

Current form and how the match could play out

🇭🇷 Croatia

Croatia lost 4-2 to England in their 2026 World Cup opener. They start this Nations League at Czechia (26 Sep) and Spain (29 Sep) before hosting England.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

England finished third at the World Cup and play Spain (26 Sep) and Czechia (29 Sep) before this trip. Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento withdrew from the squad.

  • The World Cup meeting was open: England had 22 shots (11 on target) and won eight corners in the 4-2 win, with no yellow cards shown to England.
  • Croatia's midfield control is their strength; England's best chance is to attack the spaces behind Croatia's full-backs quickly, as they did at the World Cup.

Corners

Croatia vs England corners

England won eight corners in the World Cup meeting. Detailed corners and cards previews will follow closer to kick-off.

Cards

Croatia vs England cards

No England yellow cards in the World Cup meeting. The referee will be added once announced.

Player markets

Player betting angles

  • Anytime scorer

    Confidence: Medium

    Harry Kane

    Seven shots (three on target) in the World Cup meeting and England's penalty taker.

Player markets depend on the confirmed line-up. Some bookmakers protect these bets if the player is substituted — see the Super Sub section.

Stats & H2H

Croatia vs England stats and head-to-head

Team comparison
StatCroatiaEngland
FIFA ranking (June 2026)114
Head coach—Thomas Tuchel
WC 2026 corners per game—5.67
WC 2026 shots per game—14.50
WC 2026 shots on target per game—5.67
WC 2026 yellow cards per game—1.17

Source: FIFA ranking 11 June 2026; SuperSubBetting World Cup 2026 match log (where held).

England have won the last three meetings; Croatia's last win was the 2018 World Cup semi-final.

DateCompetitionMatchScore
Jun 2026World Cup group stageEngland v Croatia4-2
13 Jun 2021Euro 2020England v CroatiaWembley1-0
18 Nov 2018Nations LeagueEngland v CroatiaWembley2-1
12 Oct 2018Nations LeagueCroatia v EnglandRijeka, behind closed doors0-0
11 Jul 2018World Cup semi-finalCroatia v EnglandAfter extra time, Moscow2-1

Team news

Team news, injuries and likely line-ups

Official squads announced — starting line-ups not confirmed. Last checked 24 Sept 2026.

🇭🇷 Croatia

  • Croatia's squad and absences to be confirmed; check for suspensions after the Czechia and Spain matches.

Possible line-up

To be confirmed.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

  • Withdrawn (21 Sep): Rice, Palmer, Mainoo, Rashford, Livramento. Called up: Garner, Gibbs-White.
  • Bookings from the Spain and Czechia matches will be added before this fixture.

Possible line-up

To be confirmed after the first two matchdays.

Projections will be added after the 29 September matches.

Substitution protection

Super Sub for Croatia vs England

Super Sub-style features keep a player bet alive if your player is substituted: the bet transfers to the replacement. Each bookmaker brands it differently — Super Sub, Sub On Play On, PowerSub, Impact Sub, Sure Sub, Safe Sub and others — and each applies it to its own list of markets, typically goalscorer, shots on target and player cards.

The list below only shows bookmakers licensed in your country with a substitution feature recorded in our database, and the markets their own rules name. Availability on this specific international match is decided market by market by the operator.

Loading bookmakers for your country…

Substitution protection is applied market by market. Coverage of UEFA Nations League fixtures is not confirmed individually for each operator — check that the feature badge is shown on the exact bet before you place it.

18+ · T&Cs apply · Please gamble responsibly

More: Super Sub betting sites · Does my bookmaker have Super Sub? · Super Sub on shots on target

Compare

Bookmakers available in your country

Best bookmakers · Super Sub verified

Croatia vs England — Betting Sites

Showing best bookmakers for 🌍 …

Your country

🌍…

Filter:

18+ only. Always check current terms, responsible gambling tools and local availability before betting. Offers vary by country.

Betting sites by country

FAQ

Croatia vs England: questions and answers

What time is Croatia vs England?

Croatia vs England kicks off at 17:00 UK time (18:00 CEST) on Saturday 3 October 2026 in Rijeka.

What happened when Croatia played England at the 2026 World Cup?

England won 4-2 in the group stage.

More Nations League previews

All Nations League predictions · Betting tips today · Best bets today

18+ only. Predictions are opinions based on the data available, not certainties. Only bet what you can afford to lose. Safer gambling.