Croatia vs England: UEFA Nations League – Kane, Modric, teams, form

What the report says

Croatia and England meet on Saturday, October 3, in a UEFA Nations League Group A3 match at Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka, Croatia, with kickoff set for 6pm local time (16:00 GMT), according to Al Jazeera. The game brings together two teams that have each won one and lost one in the competition so far, leaving both with mixed starts in a difficult group that also includes Spain and Czechia.

Al Jazeera’s preview highlights the headline individual matchup between England captain Harry Kane and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric. Kane has continued to lead England’s attack, while Modric, now 41, remains central to Croatia’s midfield. The article also points to Anthony Gordon as an important contributor for England and Ivan Perisic alongside Modric for Croatia.

On recent results, Croatia opened with a 2-1 away win over Czechia before losing 4-1 to Spain, while England lost 3-2 to Spain in London and then beat Czechia 2-0 in Prague. The teams last met at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when England won 4-2 in Arlington, Texas.

The report also notes squad absences: Croatia are without injured defender Martin Erlic and right-back Josip Juranovic, while England are missing left-back Nico O’Reilly after his withdrawal with injury. Al Jazeera said it would provide pre-match coverage and live updates, and listed broadcasters for viewers in several regions.