Bellingham's hat-trick of assists drives England to Croatia's worst ever defeat

Jude Bellingham scored and registered a hat-trick of assists as England dismantled Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka on Saturday, inflicting the heaviest defeat in Croatian football history and prompting the Spanish press to declare the Real Madrid midfielder among the best players in the world.

Bellingham returned to Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up after being rested for Tuesday’s win over Czechia, and wasted little time justifying that decision. He threaded a through ball to set up Harry Kane’s early opener, then got on the scoresheet himself in the 21st minute before a piece of intricate play in the box teed up Bukayo Saka for a tap-in on the stroke of half-time. His third assist arrived in the 87th minute, when a raking pass from deep sent Morgan Rogers clear to round the goalkeeper.

With Kane substituted in the second half, Bellingham also wore the captain’s armband, capping a commanding all-round display.

The performance reverberated quickly in Spain, where Bellingham has played his club football since joining Real Madrid in 2023. Madrid-based publication Marca wrote that, since his standout displays at the World Cup, Bellingham “hasn’t been far from being the best player in the world.” Goal’s Spanish edition awarded him a 9/10 match rating, describing “a virtuoso performance” and noting that “his ability to break lines with his dribbling was the driving force behind England’s success.”

AS ran the headline “Bellingham causes an embarrassment,” while Mundo Deportivo highlighted him alongside Kane and Saka as the game’s standout performers. SPORT wrote that “Bellingham provided the magic” as England played “brilliant football” to thrash Croatia. La Razon offered perhaps the most complete summary: “Bellingham assisted, orchestrated and scored. He made the difference, especially in the first half when the game was still up in the air.”

The 23-year-old had already been in fine form heading into the international break, contributing three goals and three assists for Real Madrid in the current club season. Saturday’s showing added further weight to the argument that Bellingham is operating at the very top of the game, with Tuchel’s England side now looking a formidable force ahead of the 2026 World Cup.