Croatia’s national football is undergoing one of the most difficult periods in its history. The year 2026 has resulted in catastrophe for Slaven Bilic’s team, which has already broken three negative records and is in danger of registering another one in England’s next encounter with Wimbledon.
Croatia will face England Thursday at 20:45, within the fifth lap of the League of Nations. The Croatian team travels to London after three consecutive losses, while data released by the statistics company Opta shows the size of the crisis this representative is going through.
During 2026, Croatia recorded seven losses, more than in any other calendar year in its history. It has also received 28 goals, record numbers since the country’s independence. Even the offensive balance is disturbing: only 15 goals scored, bringing the goal difference to -13, the weakest one that has ever had in a calendar year.
The contrast to the previous year is huge. In 2025, Croatia had scored 28 goals and had suffered only six, by a margin of +22. Within just one year, the goal balance has undergone a 35-go change.
It is at risk for the first time in history
Next negative record can come to Wimbledon. If defeated by England, Croatia will register four consecutive losses for the first time in its history.
In the last three matches, Croats were defeated by Spain by 4-1, England 7-0, and again Spain 2-1. In these three confrontations, they have suffered a total of 13 goals, witnessing the major difficulties in the defensive department.
The situation is also particularly interesting because of the return of Slaven Bilic to the representative’s bench. The Croatian coach has returned to the helm of the team in September this year, and in the first four games of the second term, a victory and three defeat has registered.
In his first term, Bilic had led Croatia in 34 matches, reaching 24 victories, seven draws and only three losses. This means that in only the first four games after the return, he has suffered as much defeat as in the first 34 meetings of his first term.
Great favourite England towards Croatia
According to Opta’s supercomputer projections, England is the clear favourite for this confrontation. The English representative is given 67.2 percent chance of victory, while Croatia’s prospects are estimated at 14.8 percent. The equalization is 18 percent.
In the recent confrontation between these two representatives, held on October 3rd in Rijeka, England had triumphed with a depth of 7-0. It was the worst loss in Croatian football history. Moreover, the English have won the last four confrontations against Croats.
However, Wembley is a stadium with special memories of Billy. In November 2007, Croatia had won 3-2 over England in this very stadium, leaving it outside the 2008 European Championship. /Telegraphy/
