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Spanish national football team extended its unbeaten streak to 42 matches

07 October 2026 00:52 (UTC +04:00)

The Spanish national team defeated Croatia 2-1 in an away match in the fourth round of the Nations League group stage. The match took place in Split, APA reports.

Mikel Merino scored for the winners (61st and 89th minutes). Ivan Perisic scored for the losers (17). The Croatians were down to ten men from the 80th minute onward due to Perisic's dismissal.

The Spanish national team has broken its own record for the longest unbeaten streak, reaching 42 matches. After defeating Argentina in the World Cup final (1-0 after extra time), Spain surpassed Italy's record of 37 matches unbeaten from 2018 to 2021, when they were coached by former Zenit St. Petersburg coach Roberto Mancini. In the first round of the Nations League, Spain beat England (3-2), Croatia (4-1) in the second round, and the Czech Republic (3-1) in the third.

Spain leads the Nations League top division Group 3 standings with 12 points. The team is the second team to reach the quarterfinals. Portugal was the first to reach the finals.

In the other match of the day, the English national team crushed the Czech Republic 3-0 at home. Striker Harry Kane scored twice, equaling the national team's record for most appearances (125). The English team now holds 9 points and is in second place, followed by the Croatians (3) and the Czechs (0). In their next match, Spain will play the Czech Republic away on November 12. The English team will host the Croatians on the same day.

The top two teams in each Elite Division group will advance to the Nations League quarterfinals. The teams finishing bottom will be relegated to the second-tier division. The third-placed teams will play playoff matches against the second-placed teams in the second-tier league for the right to play in the Elite Division for the next competition.