So, could England have another go at the World Cup? Is it possible to turn back the clock and erase what happened in Atlanta? Because this team finally appears ready.
That enthusiasm may fade, however, if another match must be played in front of 6,000 excited children, whose collective noise in Rijeka reached levels few adult ears could comfortably tolerate.
It was a surreal occasion in several respects, combining unusual staging, a consistently excellent England display and a thoroughly deserved 7-0 victory, all set against a remarkably picturesque backdrop.
Rijeka is a weathered coastal city with Italian architectural influences, and its hillside stadium overlooks the blue Adriatic. From the stands, spectators could alternate between watching Jude Bellingham glide across the field and observing cargo vessels slowly crossing the bay, framed by green-grey hills and white buildings along the shore.
Two significant stories unfolded in this setting. The first concerned an extraordinary administrative situation. At 6pm, Croatia and England began a Nations League fixture officially designated as a closed-door match, yet the stadium was crowded with a loud home audience and almost every seat was occupied.
The sanction followed a large supporter march to the Stade de France in Paris the previous March. Nazi salutes were reportedly seen during the event, while authorities later discovered weapons that included iron bars, extendable batons and sharpened wooden sticks.
Despite the punishment, the Croatian Football Association admitted 6,000 children accompanied by designated supervisors. If Uefa genuinely intends to enforce such sanctions, it should remove the rule that allows supposedly empty stadiums to be filled in this manner.
The arrangement created a deeply contradictory message. A punishment imposed because of racist conduct effectively became an opportunity to distribute thousands of tickets to children, weakening both the meaning and the deterrent value of the sanction.
Holding the match in Rijeka also affected England supporters, with only about 100 permitted to make the two-hour journey from Zagreb along a narrow highway. Even so, the venue remained an attractive place to watch football, with open stands, hazy views across the sea and a stark steel enclosure for visiting fans.
On the field, the picture was far more straightforward. England delivered a controlled, technically accomplished performance from beginning to end. Rather than appearing talented but vulnerable, they were compact, energetic and composed, resembling the kind of complete modern side they have often promised to become.
The quality of the opposition must be considered, because Croatia produced an extremely poor display. Even so, few international teams currently possess England’s particular combination of strength, balance and technical ability. With Bellingham and Kane at the heart of a focused lineup, they present a formidable challenge.
Thomas Tuchel selected an intriguing side, featuring a fluid midfield trio of Alex Scott, Elliot Anderson and Bellingham. England needed only seven minutes to take the lead: Scott drove forward, Bellingham supplied a precise pass and Harry Kane finished emphatically into the roof of the net.
England pressed relentlessly, denied Croatia space and used the ball with confidence. Bellingham doubled the advantage after 20 minutes following clever work from Anthony Gordon. It was his eighth goal in eight international appearances, compared with six across his previous 37, underlining his exceptional form.
The third goal arrived in the 38th minute when Gordon headed in Jarell Quansah’s driven cross. England added a fourth shortly before the interval through another superb counterattack: Bellingham covered roughly 80 metres to regain possession before delivering the ball for Bukayo Saka to score from close range.
Luka Modric was withdrawn after half-time, providing a subdued reminder of the passing years. His technique and intelligence remain, but Croatia’s ageing team could not cope with England’s pace. Kane soon scored his second from Anderson’s delivery, before returning the favour as provider for another Saka goal.
By full time, the 7-0 scoreline did not exaggerate England’s superiority. Croatia were undeniably poor, but the more important features were England’s structure, intensity and balance. The performance appeared sustainable and represented clear progress from their World Cup campaign.
As the noise finally subsided, one conclusion was that Croatia’s young spectators had behaved much better than some sections of the country’s adult support. Croatian football continues to face a serious problem involving far-right extremism, white-supremacist imagery and references to the Ustase regime of the second world war.
Football is often described as a force capable of bringing people together, but it can also expose dangerous forms of collective hatred. Filling the stadium with children showed that the sanction was not being treated with sufficient seriousness. On this occasion, however, England’s compelling performance ensured the evening was remembered primarily for events on the pitch.
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