World champions Spain turn the match in Split thanks to Merino's brace
In the Poljud stadium in Split, a tense silence fell after halftime until Mikel Merino, who was deployed as a “joker”, scored the equaliser in the 61st minute and the winning goal in the 88th minute for the reigning world champion Spain.
Croatia's early lead in Split
After the 0-7 loss to England in Rijeka, the Croatians delivered a markedly improved performance in Split and took the lead until the 60th minute. Josip Stanisic headed a dangerous cross, which Unai Simón saved in the 13th minute. Igor Matanović's shot was parried by Spain's goalkeeper, but Ivan Perišić capitalised on the rebound and headed the ball in the 18th minute.
Perišić's goal gave the Croatians a comfortable 1-0 lead, while the Spaniards threatened to jeopardise their unbeaten run without a loss in regular time since March 2023.
Merino's brace secures victory for Spain
Mikel Merino, substituted in as a joker by coach Luis de la Fuente, equalised with a header in the 61st minute to make it 1-1. Near the end, he took a high pass from teammate Martin Zubimendi, turned and scored the winning goal in the 88th minute.
Spain secures quarter‑final spot, England chase promotion in London
With that, Spain recorded their eleventh consecutive win and qualified early for the Nations League quarter‑finals. The success was documented by Grzegorz Wajda from Split and London. The team has now gone 43 competitive matches in a row without losing in regular time.
At the same time, Harry Kane became England's record international player at London's Wembley Stadium, when he earned his 125th cap in the 3-0 win over the Czech Republic, equalling Peter Shilton. Kane scored a brace, first after a cross from Morgan Rogers in the 40th minute and later with a header from a corner by Lewis Hall in the 57th minute, bringing his tally to 91 goals – a new record for the Three Lions.
Within the Nations League B, Switzerland secured early promotion to the top tier after their fourth win in the fourth match. Fabian Rieder, Johan Manzambi and Dan Ndoye scored in Lucerne against North Macedonia and lifted the team to five points ahead of Slovenia with a 3-0 victory before the final November fixtures.
Mikel Merino leads Spain's comeback in Split
Spain's turnaround in Split underscores the reigning world champion's dominance in the Nations League, while England's record performance by Kane further highlights the English attacking power.