100 England Fans to Attend Nations League Match in Croatia Despite Ban
UEFA grants a small allocation for travelling supporters after initially prohibiting any fans due to Croatia's past crowd disturbances.
England has secured an allocation of 100 tickets for away fans to attend the upcoming Nations League match against Croatia, scheduled for October 3. This decision comes after UEFA initially announced that no supporters from either nation would be permitted to attend the game.
The ban was a consequence of crowd disturbances by Croatian fans during an away match against France in 2025. Following discussions between the Football Association (FA) and UEFA, a compromise was reached, allowing a limited number of travelling England supporters to be present at the HNK Rijeka Stadium.
This arrangement marks a slight shift from UEFA's initial ruling, which aimed to punish Croatia for their supporters' behavior. The match will be played behind closed doors in terms of home support, but the presence of 100 England fans is expected to offer a unique atmosphere for the Group C fixture and provide a small advantage to the visiting team.
England's previous match in Rijeka against Croatia in 2018 also took place behind closed doors. The FA will prioritize fans with the highest number of away 'caps' for the limited ticket allocation, given the short timeframe between the announcement and the game.
UEFA's sanctions also affect Croatia's away game against Czechia on September 26, where their supporters will also be barred. However, Croatian fans will be permitted to attend their match at Wembley Stadium in November.