Nikola Vlašić and three Academy of Football products - Ben Johnson, Divin Mubama and Sonny Perkins - were all in international action Monday evening
Attacking midfielder Vlašić played the final 17 minutes of a famous 1-0 Croatian victory in the UEFA Nations League in Paris.
Defending champions France went into their fourth game in June with a miserly, winless record in Group A1, and fell behind to Luka Modrić’s fifth-minute penalty after Ibrahima Konaté felled Ante Budimir early on.
The early goal did spur Didier Deschamps’ Bleus side into life and they would later go close through Kylian Mbappé and Christopher Nkunku, but despite being on the backfoot, it was Croatia who arguably had the better openings in the second period.
As it was, Vlašić would enter the fray for the final quarter of the game and help his team see out a memorable victory in his 39th senior international cap, with the result being that France cannot now top the group, and thus will lose their grip on their title.
Croatia, meanwhile, are hot on the heels of leaders Denmark, two points behind with four games played – including both against FIFA World Cup winners France.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was on the bench for Les Bleus at the Stade de France, but did not see get on the pitch within the 90 minutes.
Elsewhere, in youth international action, Johnson played his fourth match for England U21s, but could not stop the Young Lions from falling to a first qualifying defeat in some 55 games, or eleven years.
Lee Carsley’s Young Lions had already booked their place at next year’s European U21 Championship finals next summer in Romania and Georgia after three wins earlier this month.
But a 2-1 home defeat to Slovenia U21s in Huddersfield – Djed Spence scored a first-minute own goal before Mark Zabukovnik's header doubled the visitors’ lead, nullifying Cameron Archer’s injury-time consolation – was a disappointing way to sign off on an otherwise impressive campaign in which Carsley’s team won eight of their ten matches.
There was victory in the air, however, for more of West Ham’s Young Lions as England U18s’ 0-0 draw with Croatia U18s in Zagreb led to Mubama and Perkins winning a friendly four nations tournament.
The Young Lions started their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Austria on Tuesday before following it up with a 2-0 win against neighbours Wales on Friday, meaning a point on Monday was enough to secure top spot in the competition.
Both Mubama – wearing No9 – and Perkins – as No7 – started the final game, the latter finishing and then slotting home a penalty kick in a practice shoot-out, which England went on to also win 4-3.
