Croatia face Spain with Nations League hopes on the line in Split

Croatia host Spain at Stadion Poljud on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 18:45 GMT in the fourth round of the Nations League.

The match comes at a critical point for Croatia, who are third in the group after suffering a heavy 0-7 home defeat by England in Rijeka on Saturday. Slaven Bilic’s side were overwhelmed defensively and struggled to create opportunities, leaving them under pressure to respond against the group leaders.

Another setback would put Croatia’s hopes of avoiding relegation at serious risk. They must now produce a reaction in front of their home supporters in Split if they are to remain in contention in the competition.

Spain arrive in far stronger form, having won all three of their matches so far. They defeated Croatia 4-1 in the reverse fixture before recording a 3-1 victory over Czech Republic in Oviedo on Saturday.

Lamine Yamal was again a key figure in that win, and Spain have now extended their unbeaten run to 41 consecutive matches. A draw in Split would be enough to confirm their place in the quarter-finals mathematically.

The visitors will, however, be without Fabian Ruiz, who has remained with his family following the birth of his child.

Croatia v Spain: record and match details

Spain have held the clear advantage in previous meetings between the teams. Since their first encounter in 1994, Croatia and Spain have played 11 times, with Spain winning seven, Croatia three and one match ending level.

Spain have also scored more heavily across those fixtures, finding the net 28 times compared with Croatia’s 16.

The game will be played at Stadion Poljud on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, with kick-off at 18:45 GMT.

In France, the match will be shown on L’Equipe and L’Equipe Live Foot. Viewers in Turkey can watch on ATV, S Sport, S Sport+, Digiturk Play and TV8, while Rai 1 holds the rights in Italy.

DAZN will broadcast the fixture in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. In the Netherlands, coverage is available on Ziggo Sport and NOS. Fox Sports 2, ViX and FOX One will show the game in the United States.

The match is also available on beIN SPORTS and beIN Sports Connect in Australia, beIN Sports across the Middle East and North Africa, and SuperSport, Canal+ Sport or New World TV in sub-Saharan Africa.

Spain are strong favourites given their unbeaten run and current form, while Croatia are attempting to recover from their 0-7 loss to England. The published prediction is a 1-3 Spain victory.

The listed betting odds are 8.90 for a Croatia win, 6.00 for a draw and 1.20 for a Spain victory.