Jude Bellingham delivered a performance for the ages on Saturday night, scoring once and creating three goals as England humiliated Croatia 7-0 in the Nations League. In doing so, the Real Madrid midfielder became the first England midfielder to register four goal involvements in a single international match since David Platt did it against San Marino in February 1993 — 33 years ago.
A Masterclass in Rijeka
England's biggest-ever away statement under Thomas Tuchel came in front of a bizarre crowd at the Rujevica stadium — around 6,000 local schoolchildren plus just 100 England supporters, after UEFA restricted Croatia's attendance for previous crowd trouble. What they witnessed was the heaviest defeat in Croatia's history, surpassing the 6-0 loss to Spain in 2018, and England's biggest victory over a nation inside the FIFA top 50 since the rankings took their current form in 1992.
Bellingham was at the heart of everything. He slid a perfect through ball for Harry Kane to open the scoring after just eight minutes, made it 2-0 himself in the 21st minute after Anthony Gordon recycled Bukayo Saka's cross, and then supplied the pinpoint delivery for Saka to make it 4-0 on the stroke of half-time. Gordon headed home Jarell Quansah's cross for 3-0, Kane added his second from Elliot Anderson's ball in the 53rd minute, Saka punished a defensive error in the 68th, and substitute Morgan Rogers completed the rout in the 87th minute — from yet another defence-splitting Bellingham pass.
The Record Book Rewritten
According to Opta, as reported by TNT Sports, no England midfielder had produced a goal and three assists in one game since Platt's four-goal-involvement night 33 years ago. England also became the first team ever to score five or more goals in an away match against Croatia, and inflicted Croatia's first competitive defeat in Rijeka.
The night belonged to the collective, but the numbers underlined Bellingham's influence: ESPN awarded him a perfect 10, the only player on either side to earn full marks, while Kane's brace took his tally to 89 international goals in his 124th cap — one short of Peter Shilton's all-time appearance record.
What It Means for Tuchel's England
The context made the performance even more significant. England had started this Nations League campaign with a 3-2 defeat to world champions Spain at Wembley, and only laboured to a 2-0 win over ten-man Czechia in Prague on Tuesday. In Rijeka, Tuchel made five changes — including handing Alex Scott his first England start alongside Elliot Anderson in midfield — and the result was the most complete display of his reign.
"Unbelievable from start to finish," Kane said after the match. "We spoke a lot about having a 90-minute game from start to finish, being completely dominant with the ball and without the ball. That was it right there."
Tuchel was equally effusive, saluting a "complete" 90-minute performance at the highest level. After questions about his team's identity following the Spain defeat, his side answered emphatically — and now sit level with Spain on six points in Group 3 ahead of Tuesday's return fixture against Czechia at Wembley.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Jude Bellingham's one-goal, three-assist masterclass was not just the standout individual performance of England's record night in Rijeka — it was a 33-year first for an England midfielder, and a statement that Thomas Tuchel's most complete performance still had a singular star. With Czechia next at Wembley on Tuesday, the big question is simple: was this a one-off, or has Tuchel finally found his formula?
