UEFA has ordered Croatia's upcoming Nations League match against England to be played behind closed doors as a disciplinary sanction. The punishment stems from crowd trouble and reported racist incidents during Croatia's Nations League quarter-final ties against France in March 2025.
Following a review of evidence, UEFA's disciplinary body fined the Croatian Football Federation £79,000 and issued a one-match stadium ban for their next recognised home fixture. The federation was also instructed to cover repair costs for damage caused to the Stade de France during the return leg. This Saturday's match at Stadion Rujevica in Rijeka is the first home game to which the ban applies.
Match attendance restrictions
Essential personnel, coaching staff, and media representatives will be the only people permitted inside the stadium for the 5pm BST kick-off. A separate one-match travel ban prevents Croatia's away supporters from attending their next scheduled away fixture in the competition.
Limited ticket allocation
England has been allocated just 100 complimentary tickets for the fixture. The Football Association confirmed that these will be distributed to active 2026-2028 members of the England Supporters Travel Club.
The match is a key fixture in League A, Group 3 of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, where Croatia, England, Spain and Czechia are competing for quarter-final places. Both teams face a busy schedule, with this being England's third match in eight days under manager Thomas Tuchel. The return fixture is scheduled for November 12 at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool's next fixture is at home against Manchester City on October 11.
First reported at Daily Mirror
