Croatia’s fans are banned from Rijeka, and up to 6,000 schoolchildren will watch them take on England
Croatia and England are both on three points in League A Group 3, and Saturday’s game is being played without home supporters after a UEFA sanction.
Oct 3, 2026
Croatia host England in Rijeka on Saturday with their own supporters locked out. The crowd at Stadion HNK Rijeka will be made up mostly of schoolchildren, plus around 100 travelling England fans, and the two sides go in level on three points in League A Group 3 of the Nations League.
Kick-off is at 6pm local time, which is 9:30pm IST.
Why the stands will be mostly children
The ban goes back to Croatia’s Nations League quarter-final against France in March 2025, when firecrackers were set off in the Croatia section and seven supporters were detained in Paris on suspicion of making Nazi salutes. The seven were later released without charge for lack of evidence, but UEFA’s sanction stood: no Croatia fans at their next home Nations League game.
UEFA’s disciplinary rules carry an exception for children aged 14 and under, invited free of charge from schools and football academies and accompanied by adults. The Croatian federation expects between 5,500 and 6,000 of them, in a ground that holds a little over 8,000. England’s Supporters Travel Club has been given around 100 complimentary tickets.
Thomas Tuchel did not pretend to like it. “To be behind closed doors, it’s never nice. It’s a strange atmosphere,” the England head coach said on Friday, before adding that he was happy for the children who would get to watch the players from so close.
Several thousand schoolchildren can make plenty of noise. It still will not sound like a Croatia home crowd, and that is the point of the punishment.
Both beaten by Spain, both winners in Prague
The two teams have taken the same route to this point. Croatia won 2-1 in Prague in Slaven Bilic’s first game back in charge, with Luka Modric scoring the opener, then lost 4-1 to Spain in Seville. England lost 3-2 to Spain at Wembley, with Harry Kane hitting the bar from the penalty spot, and then won 2-0 in Prague, where Anthony Gordon and Kane scored after the Czechs went down to ten men.
Spain lead the group with six points from two games. Czechia have none.
Tuchel’s message was about switching on after the win. “We cannot fall asleep in the beautiful place where we are. We cannot switch off and be in holiday mode,” he said.
Team news
England will be without Nico O’Reilly, who has gone back to Manchester City injured, and Lewis Hall is expected to carry on at left-back. Jordan Pickford is set to start in goal after James Trafford played the first two games. The rest of the squad trained in full at the stadium on Friday.
Bilic has a decision to make over Modric, who is 41 and only came off the bench late in Seville. “We have to be mindful of his workload, which is why we take special care of him,” the Croatia coach said. He also called his captain “more than a player” and “an icon”.
These two last met at the World Cup on 17 June, when Kane scored twice in a 4-2 England win in Arlington, Texas. Croatia drew level twice that night through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa before Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford settled it.