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SEVILLE — World Cup holders Spain produced a statement performance on Tuesday night, beating Croatia 4-1 at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan to extend their European record unbeaten run to 40 matches and make it two wins from two in their UEFA Nations League Group A3 campaign. Lamine Yamal was the headline act, scoring twice and crafting the cross that produced another goal as La Roja overwhelmed their visitors.
The 19 September scoreline underlined the gulf between the sides. Spain, fresh from a 3-2 win over England at Wembley only three days earlier, produced an attacking display of pace, invention and ruthless finishing that left Croatia chasing shadows for long stretches of the evening. Croatia, by contrast, were unable to sustain any meaningful pressure and were largely camped inside their own third.
Before kick-off, the occasion was marked by a presentation that few hosts could have planned. It was Spain's first home match since lifting the World Cup in July, and midfielder Rodri paraded the trophy around the pitch in front of a celebratory crowd in the Andalusian capital. The champions then proceeded to demonstrate why they are regarded as the side to beat on the continent.
Spain broke the deadlock almost immediately. Lamine Yamal, who had also opened the scoring against England at Wembley, struck in the second minute. Alex Baena delivered a ball into the area, Fermin Lopez cleverly dummyed it to leave the winger with time and space, and Yamal curled a first-time low shot beyond the far post — a goal of real precision given the angle and the touch he had to take.
Barely a minute later Spain came close to a second when Baena's own effort was pushed away by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. That save briefly hinted at a chance for the visitors, and Croatia duly exploited the slack Spain's rapid start had created. Dion Beljo rose to head home in the 28th minute, restoring parity and giving the hosts something to think about during the interval.
Spain's response was almost instantaneous. Barely three minutes after conceding, they were ahead again: Yamal whipped a cross from the right wing into the six-yard box, where Marc Pubill attacked it with authority and powered a header beyond Livakovic for 2-1. The goal arrived from a familiar source and restored the sense of inevitability that had briefly disappeared.
The hosts did not have to wait long for a third. In the 63rd minute, Yamal collected a pass from Pedri inside the penalty area and, despite being confronted by a tight angle and a crowded goalmouth, drilled a low shot into the net. It was his second of the night and took his personal tally for the season to a level that has already redefined Spain's attack.
With Croatia's resistance fading, substitute Nico Williams completed the rout in the 89th minute, adding a fourth to seal the win and underline the depth in Luis de la Fuente's squad options. The scoreline flattered neither the visitors' shortcomings nor the hosts' quality: Spain were quicker in every phase, sharper in front of goal and more clinical when chances presented themselves.
Elsewhere in the group, England recorded a 2-0 win in Prague against a ten-man Czech Republic, a result that lifted them above Slaven Bilic's side and into second place in the standings behind the already-perfect Spaniards. That contest also underlined how wide the quality gap at the top of European football has become, with two of the continent's leading nations winning comfortably on the same evening.
The fixture carried additional significance, re-creating the 2023 Nations League final — a match Spain won on penalties after Croatia pushed them to the end. On this occasion, however, there was no late drama. Croatia recovered from conceding an early goal to level the tie, but they never looked like repeating their resilience from three years earlier, and Spain's control of the contest was total from the third goal onwards.
Yamal's contribution was the statistical stand-out, but his influence extended well beyond his two strikes. He supplied the cross for Spain's second goal, muscled clear of defenders to create his own third, and repeatedly drew Croatia's midfield toward him, opening space on the flanks for Baena and later Williams. It is a measure of Spain's strength that a player of his caliber can operate as both the final passer and the finisher in the same attack.
For Croatia, the performance will be judged on the 87 minutes between Spain's second and third goals. Livakovic, to his credit, made good saves when required and was among his side's better performers, but he was too often left with simple holds as Spain's attackers found unguarded space in the box. Beljo's header offered a glimpse of what Croatia can produce when they are allowed to settle.
The wider significance lies in the record. A 40-match unbeaten European run places Spain in rarefied air, and with the Nations League group now requiring a response rather than a reset, momentum matters. Croatia and the Czech Republic must now recover from heavy defeats on the same night, while Spain can rotate and still hold position — the sort of advantage that has defined elite sides for decades.
What happens next will be judged on margins. Spain's strength is that they won the fixture in the area in which elite football is decided: the six-yard box, in tight spaces, under pressure. Croatia's task is to make those margins matter, and to find a response to a Spain that appears to be widening, game by game, the distance between the best and the rest.
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