Spain come from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 in Split in UEFA Nations League

Spain beat Croatia 2-1 at the Stadion Poljud in Split in a UEFA Nations League Group A3 match on October 6, 2026, with Mikel Merino scoring twice late to overturn an early Ivan Perišić lead. Merino’s second, in the 89th minute, settled the game after Perišić’s 17th-minute header.

Croatia opened the scoring when Ivan Perišić produced a first-half header in the 17th minute to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at halftime. The report states the strike was his 40th international goal for the national team. Croatia’s defeat at Poljud extended their UEFA Nations League losing streak.

Mikel Merino came off the bench to draw Spain level in the 61st minute and then converted again in the 89th to complete the comeback. The article notes Merino has scored goals off the bench on multiple occasions and that his contributions were decisive in this match.

Ivan Perišić was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 79th minute, reducing Croatia to 10 men for the final phase of the match. The dismissal left Croatia a man short while Spain pushed for the late winner.

Spain’s victory extended their reported 41-game undefeated streak and secured their lead in Group A3. The national side remained at the top of League A Group 3 in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League following the result.

Following the win, Spain have a perfect record of 12 points from their first three games and managed to claim three points despite conceding the opening goal. The report describes the outcome as another instance of Spain overturning an early deficit to win.

The result leaves Spain atop League A Group 3 in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League and extends Croatia’s UEFA Nations League losing streak.