England made a statement overnight, thumping Croatia 7-0 on their own turf in the Nations League as Jude Bellingham was the star of the show in Rijeka.
The Three Lions opened the scoring through captain Harry Kane in the eighth minute and never looked back, piling on three more before half-time with Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka also adding their names to the scoresheet.
They didn’t let up after the break either, with Kane and Saka adding another each, before substitute Morgan Rogers rounded out the rout late in the second half.
“It was a fantastic victory. It’s an outstanding result, of course, and the performance underlying this result is just on the highest level, from the first minutes to the last,” coach Thomas Tuchel said.
“The speed and the technical quality today and the hunger off the ball was on the very highest level.”
Since finishing third at the World Cup, following a heartbreaking loss in the semi-finals to Argentina, England have now played three times.
A 3-2 loss to world champions Spain was followed by a 2-0 win over Czechia, with this result easily the most dominant in recent memory under Tuchel.
The Three Lions controlled 64% of possession, registered 10 shots on target to one and completed more than 500 passes more than a Croatian side who had Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic starting in the centre of the park.
Among a galaxy of stars, Real Madrid’s Bellingham was again the standout, finishing the match with a goal and three assists.
“Bellingham can go on to be one of the greatest players of all time,” Manchester United legend Roy Keane said on ITV.
“At this moment in time, he is an amazing footballer.
The package – his running power, his delivery, his goal threat. The way he is progressing as a player, I still think there is a lot more to come from him.”
Keane added: “He has been fantastic in possession, but what he does out of possession lifts all these other players.
“If you have a player that good in your team, who is amazing in possession and he’s playing for Real Madrid and doing brilliant things, but his work rate off the ball… that will just inspire other players. He is a huge leader for them.”
Arsenal great Ian Wright added: “When Bellingham is on the pitch, he is always driving forward and going again and again.
“He was involved in everything. His athleticism, his technical ability, his intensity. He never lets up, the way he gets in the box, he is always in there unmarked. He is always in there.”
It’s difficult to believe Bellingham is still only 23 years old.
A star at the World Cup, he appears to be getting better and better for England.
“He was amazing tonight,” teammate Saka said of the Real Madrid star.
“He deserved player of the year and he deserved man of the match tonight too. He was special.
“\[I’m\] happy to play with him and happy to have him in the England team.”
Elsewhere in Nations League action, Spain beat Czechia 3-2 with Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Merino all among the goals to make it a perfect three from three in this international window so far for Luis De La Fuente’s team.
Scotland beat North Macedonia 2-0 care of a strike from Kieron Bowie and a John McGinn penalty, while defender Scott McKenna was sent off late in proceedings.
Switzerland were 2-1 winners over Slovenia, recovering from a second-minute goal from Swansea striker Zan Vipotnik thanks to an own-goal and a winner from Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye.
Nations league action continues tomorrow with Greece hosting Germany and Portugal taking on Norway in the pick of the matches.