England defeat Croatia 4-2 in thrilling World Cup opener

England launched their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in style with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas, strengthening their ambitions of ending a 60-year wait for global glory.

In a match packed with quality, history, and attacking football, goals from Harry Kane (2), Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford secured all three points for Thomas Tuchel’s side against a resilient Croatian team.

The fixture carried significant historical weight.

England and Croatia have developed one of the most memorable international rivalries of the modern era, with Croatia famously defeating England 2-1 after extra time in the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup before finishing runners-up to France.

Prior to this encounter, the two nations had met 12 times, with England holding a slight advantage in victories, though Croatia have often delivered crucial results on the biggest stages.

England are one of football’s traditional powerhouses.

The Three Lions won their only FIFA World Cup title in 1966 on home soil and have since reached the semi-finals in 1990 and 2018, while finishing runners-up at UEFA Euro 2020 and UEFA Euro 2024.

As members of UEFA, Europe’s governing football body, England have consistently ranked among the continent’s elite nations.

Croatia, meanwhile, have built an extraordinary reputation despite becoming an independent football nation only in the 1990s.

They stunned the world by finishing third at the 1998 World Cup, reached the final in 2018, and secured another third-place finish in 2022.

Croatia also reached the final of the UEFA Nations League in 2023, confirming their status among Europe’s most competitive teams.

The match’s biggest star was once again Harry Kane.

The England captain opened the scoring from the penalty spot before adding a powerful header later in the first half.

His brace took his international tally to 80 goals, extending his record as England’s all-time leading scorer.

More significantly, his second goal brought his World Cup total to 10, equalling the legendary Gary Lineker as England’s joint-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history.

Jude Bellingham’s second-half strike further highlighted his growing importance to England.

The Real Madrid midfielder now has seven international goals, four of which have come in major tournaments, underlining his ability to deliver on football’s biggest occasions.

For Croatia, Martin Baturina and Petar Musa found the net.

Baturina’s superb strike showcased why he is considered one of Croatia’s brightest young talents, while Musa’s goal demonstrated the fighting spirit that has defined Croatian football for decades.

Rashford’s late goal sealed the victory and completed a statement performance from England.

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