Kane & Modric meet again 4 months after England’s World Cup win
RIJEKA — England captain Harry Kane will attempt to score in a third consecutive UEFA Nations League match when the Three Lions face Luka Modric’s Croatia in Rijeka on Saturday, with both teams level on three points after mixed starts to Group A3.
England recovered from a 3-2 home defeat to world champions Spain by beating 10-man Czechia 2-0 in Prague, while Croatia opened with a 2-1 victory over the Czechs before suffering a 4-1 defeat against Spain.
Kane and Anthony Gordon have provided England’s main attacking threat during the opening two matches, with both scoring against Spain and Czechia. Kane also arrives in strong club form after scoring six times for Bayern Munich this season.
Croatia will again look to 41-year-old captain Modric to control the midfield after he scored in their opening victory in Prague. Ivan Perisic remains another important part of the Croatian side and has recorded assists in consecutive matches.
Saturday’s fixture also brings the teams together less than four months after England beat Croatia 4-2 during the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage in Texas. Kane scored twice in that match, with Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham also finding the net.
England have dominated the recent history between the countries, although Croatia produced one of their most significant victories when they eliminated the Three Lions from the 2018 World Cup semifinals. UEFA’s records give England six wins to Croatia’s three, with two draws between them.
Croatia will be without injured centre-back Martin Erlic, while Josip Juranovic is sidelined through illness. England left-back Nico O’Reilly withdrew from the squad because of injury.
England are expected to start Kane at the head of an attack supported by Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers and Gordon, while Croatia’s likely side includes Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol and Perisic.
The match kicks off at Stadion HNK Rijeka at 6pm local time, 6pm South African time. South African viewers can follow the match through DStv Stream, according to Al Jazeera’s broadcast guide.
With Spain also on three points ahead of their match against Czechia, Saturday’s result could begin separating the contenders in a competitive Group A3 after the opening two rounds.
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