Croatia vs Spain: Nations League preview, lineups and stakes

Croatia vs Spain headlines the UEFA Nations League 2026-27 Group A3 schedule on Tuesday, October 6, when the two sides meet at Stadion Poljud in Split, Croatia, with kickoff at 8:45 pm local time (18:45 GMT). According to Al Jazeera, World Cup holders Spain can confirm their ticket to the quarterfinals when they face Croatia, while the hosts arrive under pressure after suffering the heaviest defeat in their history in their previous fixture.

Quick summary

• Croatia vs Spain takes place on Tuesday, October 6, at Stadion Poljud in Split, with kickoff at 8:45 pm local time (18:45 GMT)
• Spain can confirm qualification for the Nations League quarterfinals, scheduled for March 2027, according to Al Jazeera
• Spain has a perfect record in the tournament and a 41-match unbeaten streak overall, per Al Jazeera
• Lamine Yamal is the joint leading scorer in this Nations League edition with four goals in three games
• Croatia sits third in the group with three points from three games and is coming off its heaviest defeat in history
• The match is a repeat of the 2022-23 Nations League final, which Spain won on penalties

What happened

The fixture closes the current international window for both teams, according to Sports Illustrated. Spain travels to Split seeking a fourth victory in four Nations League matches, having opened the campaign with a 3-2 win over England before beating Croatia and Czechia. In the reverse fixture, played in Seville, Spain defeated Croatia 4-1, with Lamine Yamal scoring twice and providing an assist, per both Al Jazeera and Sports Illustrated.

Croatia's campaign has gone in the opposite direction. According to Sports Illustrated, Slaven Bilić's return to the Croatia bench has produced a narrow win over Czechia, the defeat to Spain, and a 7-0 home loss to England that the outlet describes as the nation's worst-ever result. Al Jazeera likewise notes that Luka Modrić's side suffered its heaviest defeat in history in its last fixture. Croatia's defense has allowed 12 goals across three matches in this international window, according to Sports Illustrated.

How we got here

The UEFA Nations League was founded in 2018 to reduce the number of friendlies and give national teams competitive matches against similarly ranked opponents, according to Al Jazeera. The competition is organized into four divisions with promotion and relegation, and teams face every other side in their group twice, once at home and once away, with the league phase ending in November.

In League A, the top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, which take place in March 2027, and the finals will again be contested by four teams, with the host and dates not yet confirmed, per Al Jazeera. Spain enters this round with a perfect record in the tournament and a 41-match unbeaten run overall, while Croatia is third in the group with three points from three games. The matchup also revisits the 2022-23 Nations League final, which Spain won on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes, according to Sports Illustrated.

Who are the key figures

For Croatia, Al Jazeera highlights Luka Modrić, who remains central to the midfield at 41 years old and has scored once in this campaign, and Ivan Perišić, who has contributed two assists. For Spain, the standout is Lamine Yamal, the joint leading scorer in this Nations League edition with four goals in three games, a tally he shares with three other players, including England's Harry Kane. Yamal has scored in every match, including a brace against Croatia in Seville. Atlético Madrid's Álex Baena has also been influential, with a goal and two assists, per Al Jazeera.

On the sidelines, Spain is coached by Luis de la Fuente, who, according to Sports Illustrated, has faced selection challenges after several withdrawals from the squad. Croatia is led by Slaven Bilić, whose return to the national team bench has so far produced poor results, in the assessment of Sports Illustrated.

Injuries and probable lineups

Croatia will be without centre-back Martin Erlić, sidelined with injury until mid-October, while Josip Juranović is unavailable due to illness, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet lists Croatia's probable XI as: Dominik Livaković; Josip Stanišić, Luka Vušković, Joško Gvardiol, Ivan Perišić; Luka Modrić; Franjo Ivanović, Petar Sučić, Mateo Kovačić, Martin Baturina; Petar Musa.

Spain has four players doubtful due to injuries, per Al Jazeera: Ferran Torres (physical discomfort), Alejandro Grimaldo (thigh), Joan Garcia (knee) and Nico Williams (thigh). Al Jazeera's probable Spain XI is: David Raya; Iván Fresneda, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Fran García; Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena; Roberto Fernández.

Sports Illustrated offers a different projection, suggesting Croatia could switch to a 4-2-3-1 with Ivan Smolčić, Josip Šutalo, Josip Mišić, Nikola Vlašić and Igor Matanović among those who could come in, with Modrić potentially left out for greater defensive security. For Spain, the outlet projects Unai Simón in goal, with Marc Pubill, Pau Cubarsí and Marc Cucurella in defense, Martín Zubimendi possibly resting Rodri, and Mikel Oyarzabal expected to return in attack. These are predictions by the outlet, not confirmed lineups.

Explainer

The UEFA Nations League is a European national team competition created in 2018. Participating countries are split into four leagues based on their ranking, with promotion and relegation between divisions. In the top tier, League A, group winners and runners-up move on to a knockout phase, and four teams ultimately contest the finals.

An 'unbeaten streak' refers to consecutive matches without a defeat across all competitions; Al Jazeera puts Spain's current run at 41 matches. The 'quarterfinals' in this tournament are the knockout round that determines the four finalists, and they are scheduled for March 2027.

Why Croatia vs Spain matters

For Spain, according to Al Jazeera, the World Cup holders can confirm their place in the quarterfinals when they face Croatia in Split. The outlet notes that Spain's attack has produced 10 goals from seven different scorers in three games, with Yamal leading the scoring charts, and that the odds swing heavily in the visitors' favor given their perfect record and long unbeaten run.

For Croatia, the match is an opportunity to respond after what Sports Illustrated describes as a poor start under Bilić, capped by the 7-0 loss to England. The outlet's analysis suggests the 2018 World Cup runner-up may adopt a more cautious approach to steady the team, though it notes that Spain's attack has scored three or more goals in each of its Nations League matches so far. Al Jazeera frames the duel as a 'clash of generations' between the 41-year-old Modrić and the teenage Yamal.

What comes next

The Nations League league phase runs until November, according to Al Jazeera, with the League A quarterfinals set for March 2027. The finals, again featuring four teams, do not yet have a confirmed host or dates.

Fans can follow the match through regional broadcasters listed on UEFA's official broadcaster guide, per Al Jazeera, which also provided live text coverage and build-up of the game.