Croatia vs Spain kicks off on 6 Oct 2026 at 14:45 EST and 18:45 GMT.
World champions meet a wounded Croatia
Spain are in red-hot form ahead of their meeting with a Croatia side that took a battering against England last time out.
Spain look flawless under De La Fuente
Spain are now unbeaten in 41 matches, winning their last 10, and they sit pretty with three wins from three in this competition. They were too good for Czechia last time out, running out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Lanmine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Merino.
Getty ImagesA dark day for Croatia
Croatia's 7-0 hammering at the hands of England was their worst-ever defeat in a men's international. After successive heavy defeats, Croatia now lie third in UEFA Nations League A Group 4. Slaven Bilic's men could hardly have a tougher test than a meeting with the world champions next, but that's what they face. A 4-1 defeat to Spain in the reverse fixture will hardly fill them with confidence.
Getty ImagesKey stats
- Croatia have conceded 2+ goals in five of their last six meetings with Spain.
Likely XIs
Croatia (4231): Livakovic; Smolcic, Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Ivanovic, Mario Pasalic, Vlasic; Matanovic.
Spain (433): Simon; Fresneda, Cubarsi, Huijsen, Cucurella; Lopez, Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Munoz.
Getty ImagesTeam news & squads
Croatia vs Spain Probable lineups
Croatia are managed by Slaven Bilic, though no confirmed injury or suspension information is available at this stage. Updates are expected to be added closer to kick-off.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente also has no confirmed team news listed at this time. Dean Huijsen featured in the previous meeting in Seville and has spoken about his return to the international fold after missing the World Cup squad. Full squad updates will follow as the match approaches.
Form
Croatia head into this fixture having won two and lost two of their last five matches, with one additional defeat rounding out a mixed sequence. Their most recent result was the 4-1 loss to Spain in Seville, and before that they beat Czechia 2-1 in the Nations League. Their World Cup run included victories over Ghana and Panama, but they were eliminated by Portugal in the round of 16. Across those five matches, Croatia scored seven goals and conceded nine, reflecting a side capable of attacking output but prone to defensive lapses against top opposition.
Spain have won all five of their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent result was that 4-1 win over Croatia, and before that they beat England 3-2 in the Nations League opener. The World Cup run that preceded this campaign included wins over Belgium, France, and Argentina in the final, with Spain conceding just twice across those five games, both in the Nations League. It is a sequence that underlines both their attacking quality and their defensive organisation.
Head-to-Head Record
The most recent meeting between these sides came just days ago, when Spain won 4-1 in Seville in the Nations League. Looking back across the last five head-to-head fixtures, Spain hold a clear advantage, with results including a 3-0 win at Euro 2024 and a 5-3 victory at Euro 2020 after extra time. Croatia's only win in the recent series came in a Nations League fixture in November 2018, when they beat Spain 3-2. A subsequent Nations League meeting in June 2023 ended 0-0, the only draw in the sequence.
Standings
In Group 3 of UEFA Nations League A, Spain currently sit top of the table while Croatia are in third place, making this fixture a direct contest with significant implications for how the group develops.