Thomas Tuchel is not pretending the hurt has gone away. He is saying his England players have learned to carry it.

“We will always have a scar, we will always feel pain and disappointment,” the German said in Rijeka after watching his side take Croatia apart 7-0 on Saturday. “That is the way it is, but this is the way to move forward.”

The scoreline is the kind that redraws record books. No team had ever put five or more goals past Croatia away from home, and the result stands as the heaviest defeat Croatia have ever suffered. For England, it is the biggest Nations League win they have recorded.

Kane and Saka strike twice each

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scored twice. Jude Bellingham added a goal and three assists, Anthony Gordon chipped in with another, and substitute Morgan Rogers rounded off the scoring.

Read also: Man City expulsion twist emerges as Premier League rivals reveal major concern

“It was a fantastic victory. It’s an outstanding result, of course, and the performance underlying this result is just on the highest level,” Tuchel said.

A scar they can carry

The weight behind Tuchel’s words comes from where England were three months earlier. Argentina knocked them out of the World Cup semi-final in July, with Enzo Fernández equalising in the 85th minute and substitute Lautaro Martínez heading in a 92nd-minute winner after Anthony Gordon had put England ahead. England then beat France 6-4 to finish third, their best World Cup finish since winning the trophy in 1966.

“This is the only way to move forward, even if you still feel pain,” Tuchel said. “You have to play with the pain if you still feel the disappointment, you have to play with it. That is the nature of sport.”

He also pointed to how the Rijeka performance was built in the days before kick-off.

Read also: Hamilton’s whishes come true: F1 is going to Africa

“The focus in the meetings, the translation of the meetings onto the pitch and to bring it in these circumstances in Croatia, to win with this dominant performance, that is the way to move on.”

Spain away is the real test

The win keeps England second in their Nations League group, three points behind Spain. Kane added two more goals in a 3-0 win over Czechia at Wembley three days later, equalling the England appearance record on his 125th cap. Spain away on 15 November is the group’s decisive fixture.

Read also: Jude Bellingham makes huge Harry Kane claim: ‘Nothing he does surprises me’