England routs Croatia as nation attempts to move past World Cup heartbreak

England's Jude Bellingham vies for the ball with Croatia's Luka Vuskovic during a Nations League match in Rijeka, Croatia, on Saturday. | AFP-JIJI

AFP-Jiji

Oct 4, 2026

Rijeka, Croatia – Just three months after Thomas Tuchel came under fire for his contentious role in England’s World Cup exit, the German said Saturday’s 7-0 demolition of Croatia proved that it has healed the wounds of that painful experience.

Tuchel’s side was on the verge of reaching its first World Cup final since 1966 when it took the lead in the second half of its semifinal against Argentina in July.

But Tuchel’s decision to adopt a more defensive approach in the closing stages backfired spectacularly as Argentina scored twice in the last five minutes to leave England’s World Cup dream in tatters.

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