England kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in thrilling fashion, securing a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their Group L opener at Dallas Stadium. In a high-energy encounter, England captain Harry Kane led from the front with a brace, while Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford added clinical finishes to seal the three points.

A chaotic first half

The match was a chaotic and entertaining affair, with both sides finding the back of the net in a high-scoring first half. England took the lead twice through Harry Kane – the first a retaken penalty after an encroachment review – but were pegged back by resilient Croatian equalisers from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.

Securing the victory

The deadlock was broken decisively shortly after the break when Jude Bellingham drove into the box and slotted home in the 47th minute to put England ahead 3-2. Despite a series of heroic saves from Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who denied England on multiple occasions to keep his side in the hunt, Marcus Rashford eventually settled the contest five minutes from time.

Key match highlights

Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute. After his initial effort was saved, a retake was ordered due to goalkeeper movement and defender encroachment, with Kane converting the second attempt. Martin Baturina leveled the scores for Croatia in the 36th minute with a brilliant, curled right-footed finish.

Kane restored England's lead in the 42nd minute with a header from a Declan Rice corner, bringing his total to 10 World Cup goals and equaling Gary Likener's record. Petar Musa equalised for Croatia deep in first-half stoppage time following a neat pass from Ivan Perisic.

Jude Bellingham regained the lead for England just two minutes into the second half. Finally, Marcus Rashford, who came off the bench earlier in the half, secured the win in the 85th minute by cutting inside and sliding the ball home.

Looking ahead

This victory provides Thomas Tuchel's side with a perfect start in Group L, setting a positive tone as they pursue their first major trophy since 1966. For Croatia, the loss marks a difficult beginning to their tournament, though their attacking output demonstrated they remain a significant threat in the group stage.