| Prefer us on Google — see Tips.gg in Top Stories & Discover | Add on Google |
Croatia vs Spain player ratings tell the story of a tight UEFA Nations League contest settled 1-2 in the visitors’ favour on 6 October 2026. Spain’s Mikel Merino produced the standout display of the night, finishing with a match-high rating of 8.93 as his side edged out the hosts in Croatia.
Croatia vs Spain Player Ratings: Key Takeaways
- Mikel Merino was the best performer on the pitch, rated 8.93 after a match-high two goals.
- Spain’s average match rating of 6.79 comfortably outstripped Croatia’s 6.26.
- Spain had one player rated 8.0 or higher and five rated 7.0 or higher, while Croatia had none in either bracket.
- Croatia’s top performer, Josip Šutalo, was rated 6.67, well short of Spain’s best mark.
- Martin Baturina was the lowest-rated player in the match, finishing on 5.64 for Croatia.
- Spain’s defensive and midfield options dominated the upper end of the Croatia vs Spain player ratings today, with four of the top five all wearing the away shirt.
Croatia vs Spain Player Ratings
| Croatia | Rating | Spain | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Šutalo | 6.7 | Merino | 8.9 |
| Perišić | 6.7 | Simon | 7.6 |
| Jakić | 6.6 | Cucurella | 7.3 |
| Beljo | 6.5 | Pedri | 7.1 |
| Stanišić | 6.4 | Laporte | 7.1 |
| Modrić | 6.4 | Cascante | 6.9 |
| Matanovic | 6.3 | Carvajal | 6.9 |
| Gvardiol | 6.3 | Cubarsí | 6.8 |
| Vuskovic | 6.2 | Pubill | 6.6 |
| Kovačić | 6.2 | Rodríguez | 6.5 |
| Vlašić | 6.1 | Zubimendi | 6.3 |
| Petar Sučić | 6.0 | Muñoz | 6.3 |
| Mario Pašalić | 6.0 | Pino | 6.2 |
| Livaković | 5.8 | López | 6.2 |
| Baturina | 5.6 | Yamal | 6.1 |
| Kramarić | – | Oyarzabal | 5.9 |
| Budimir | – | Raya | – |
| Kotarski | – | Huijsen | – |
| Pandur | – | Torres | – |
| Mišić | – | Fresneda | – |
| Luka Sučić | – | Martinez | – |
| Marco Pašalić | – | Jaén | – |
| Pongračić | – | Normand | – |
Top 5 Players
Mikel Merino (Spain, 8.93) topped the Croatia vs Spain man of the match conversation after a match-high two goals, and he added two shots on target that matched the best tally posted by anyone on the pitch.
Unai Simon (Spain, 7.56) was the busiest man in either goal, producing a match-high four saves to keep his side ahead.
Marc Cucurella (Spain, 7.26) matched the best mark in the match for key passes with two, while also contributing four duels won and 55 accurate passes.
Pedri (Spain, 7.13) was involved in almost everything Spain created, delivering a match-high two accurate crosses, creating one big chance that matched the best figure in the match, and sharing the joint-best tally of five duels won.
Aymeric Laporte (Spain, 7.1) matched the joint-best two key passes, completed a match-high 126 accurate passes, and won four duels of his own.
Man of the Match: Mikel Merino
Merino’s 8.93 rating left him 1.37 clear of the next-best mark, set by his own teammate Unai Simon on 7.56, a gap that underlines how decisively he shaped the result. He managed it in just 45 minutes on the pitch, considerably less than the 90 played by most of his Spain teammates, making his impact all the more striking.
Top Attacking Performers
This table ranks the leading attacking performers by chance creation, dribbling, crossing and shooting output.
| Player | Big Chances Created | Successful Dribbles | Successful Crosses | Shots on Target | Key Passes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perišić (Croatia) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Pedri (Spain) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Laporte (Spain) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Yamal (Spain) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Modrić (Croatia) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Top Defensive Performers
This table ranks the leading defensive performers by tackles, clearances, blocks and interceptions.
| Player | Tackles | Clearances | Blocked Shots | Interceptions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubarsí (Spain) | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Gvardiol (Croatia) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Jakić (Croatia) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Vuskovic (Croatia) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Yamal (Spain) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
Who won the most duels?
| Player | Duels Contested | Duels Won % | Duels Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedri (Spain) | 9 | 56% | 5 |
| Carvajal (Spain) | 7 | 71% | 5 |
| Yamal (Spain) | 6 | 67% | 4 |
| Cucurella (Spain) | 6 | 67% | 4 |
| Laporte (Spain) | 5 | 80% | 4 |
Who had the most shots?
| Player | Shots on Target | Shots on Target % | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matanovic (Croatia) | 2 | 67% | 3 |
| Perišić (Croatia) | 2 | 67% | 3 |
| Yamal (Spain) | 0 | 0% | 3 |
| Merino (Spain) | 2 | 100% | 2 |
| Carvajal (Spain) | 0 | 0% | 2 |
Who created the most chances?
| Player | Big Chances Created | Key Passes |
|---|---|---|
| Laporte (Spain) | 1 | 2 |
| Modrić (Croatia) | 0 | 2 |
| Cucurella (Spain) | 0 | 2 |
| Kovačić (Croatia) | 0 | 2 |
How tips.gg Player Ratings Work
Every player is rated on a 1-10 scale, with a mark of around 6.0 representing an average match performance. Each rating is calculated from the individual statistics a player produces during the match, and the player with the highest figure overall is flagged as the best performer, which in this fixture was Mikel Merino on 8.93.
Croatia vs Spain Player Ratings FAQ
Who was the best player in Croatia vs Spain?
Mikel Merino was the best player on the pitch, earning a match rating of 8.93 for Spain.
What were Croatia’s player ratings like?
Croatia’s average rating was 6.26, with no player reaching 7.0, and their best performer was Josip Šutalo on 6.67.
What were Spain’s player ratings like?
Spain’s average rating was 6.79, with one player rated 8.0 or above and five at 7.0 or above, led by Mikel Merino’s 8.93.
Who was rated the lowest in Croatia vs Spain?
Martin Baturina was the lowest-rated player in the match, finishing on 5.64 for Croatia.
What was the final score between Croatia and Spain?
Spain won the UEFA Nations League meeting 1-2 away at Croatia on 6 October 2026.