England opened their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign with a statement 4-2 victory over Croatia, riding a Harry Kane double and decisive second-half strikes from Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford in an eventful Group L contest at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday 17 June.
The result made it three tournaments in a row in which England have won their opening World Cup fixture, and it came after a chaotic first half that produced four goals before England’s stronger second-half display settled the contest.
How England edged a six-goal thriller
England struck first through a twice-taken penalty in the 12th minute. Winger Noni Madueke, described as one of England’s World Cup newcomers, drew a foul from Luka Modric to win the spot-kick. Kane’s initial effort was saved by Dominik Livakovic, but referee Clement Turpin ordered a retake after replays showed the goalkeeper had stepped off his line and Josko Gvardiol had encroached. Kane went to the same corner again and converted for 1-0.
Croatia responded with a high-quality equaliser. For 1-1, Petar Sucic laid the ball back to Martin Baturina, who curled a shot into the right-hand corner via the palm of Jordan Pickford in the 36th minute.
England regained the lead before the break when Kane struck again in the 42nd minute, heading home from a Declan Rice corner. The goal carried extra significance, as it saw Kane equal Gary Lineker’s England record of 10 World Cup goals.
But Croatia hit back immediately on the stroke of half-time. Petar Musa made it 2-2 in first-half stoppage time (45+5) with a volleyed finish after a well-worked move: Ivan Perisic cleverly nodded on Mario Pasalic’s ball over the back line, and Musa applied the finish.
England’s response after the interval proved decisive. Bellingham, deployed in the No10 role ahead of Morgan Rogers, restored the advantage just two minutes into the second half. Driving in from the right wing, he finished low across Livakovic for 3-2 in the 47th minute.
The goal sparked a dominant spell from England, who forced a string of saves from Livakovic as they pushed to put the game beyond Croatia. The fourth goal arrived late, with Rashford providing the finishing touch in the 85th minute. The substitute’s composed finish followed excellent work by fellow substitute Bukayo Saka, sealing a 4-2 win in England’s opening Group L match.
Key moments and scorers
England’s goals came from Kane (12 pen, 42), Bellingham (47) and Rashford (85). Croatia’s scorers were Baturina (36) and Musa (45+5). The match also featured the unusual early turning point of Kane’s saved penalty being retaken and converted after the referee’s intervention.
Records, reactions and what it means
Kane’s performance brought both goals and history. FIFA’s key stat from the match noted that he has now scored the most penalties (excluding shootouts) in World Cup history, with five. He was also named the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.
England coach Thomas Tuchel highlighted the contrast between the two halves, describing the first period as “a bit complicated” and “nervy,” before praising the team’s reaction after the break. Kane, speaking after the match, credited the half-time message and pointed to the intensity England showed in the second half as the standard they must maintain. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic, meanwhile, said his side played “a very bad second half,” referencing the goals conceded and the difficulty of coming back once England moved ahead again.
For England, the win provides early momentum in Group L after a game that swung repeatedly before their second-half surge. For Croatia, the first-half fightback ultimately wasn’t enough to withstand England’s improved performance after the interval.