Spain Chase an 11th Straight Win as Croatia Try to Respond in Split
Spain travel to Split aiming to extend a 42-match unbeaten run against a Croatia side reeling from back-to-back heavy defeats, including a 7-0 loss to England.
Achieng Otieno · 6 October 2026 · 2 min read
2 min read
Croatia host Spain at Poljud Stadium in Split on Tuesday for the reverse fixture of their UEFA Nations League Group A3 meeting, with Luis de la Fuente's side chasing a tenth straight win in the competition and a 43rd match without defeat in all official games.
The first meeting between the two sides ended 4-1 to Spain in Seville on 29 September. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring before Dion Beljo levelled for Croatia, only for Marc Pubill to restore Spain's lead minutes later. Yamal added a second after the break and Nico Williams completed the win late on.
Croatia's torrid run
Croatia began their campaign well with a 2-1 win over Czechia in Prague, but have since lost twice — to Spain and, most painfully, 7-0 to England at Rijeka's Stadion Rujevica on 3 October, the heaviest defeat in the national team's history. Across those two games Croatia have conceded 11 goals while scoring only once.
- First meeting: Spain 4-1 Croatia (Seville, 29 September)
- Croatia's heaviest-ever defeat: 7-0 to England (3 October)
- Spain's run: 10 straight Nations League wins, unbeaten in 42 official matches
- Absentees: Ivan Smolčić (Croatia, illness), Fabián Ruiz (Spain, birth of first child)
Yamal, the constant threat
Yamal has now opened the scoring for Spain in three consecutive matches, including a 3-1 win over Czechia on the same day as England's rout of Croatia — a result that moved La Roja three points clear at the top of Group A3. Kick-off in Split is scheduled for 19:45 BST, with Croatia needing a response simply to keep their group campaign alive.
