England kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign in style, downing Croatia in a Group L thriller at the Dallas Stadium. It was a chaotic, high-octane opener that saw Thomas Tuchel’s side show their attacking teeth in a dominant second-half display.
The Match Story
Kane’s Historic Night: The England captain was at it again, netting twice to reach 10 career World Cup goals. He’s now level with Gary Lineker as England’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament.
A "Game of Two Halves": The first half was an absolute frenzy. Kane struck early from the spot, but Croatia clawed back with two clinical goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa to keep things level at 2-2 by the break.
The Tuchel Turnaround: England emerged from the tunnel for the second half as a team transformed. Jude Bellingham needed just two minutes to restore the lead with a driving finish, and substitute Marcus Rashford put the game to bed with a composed late strike in the 85th minute.
The Key Numbers
"A brilliant start to the tournament," noted match reports, as England extended their streak of winning their opening World Cup fixture to three consecutive tournaments
10: Total World Cup goals for Harry Kane (England record).
5: Most penalties scored (excluding shootouts) in World Cup history for Kane.
70,000: The capacity crowd in Dallas that witnessed this Group L fireworks display.
England’s next test is against Ghana on June 23. Does this 4-2 win make England the team to beat in Group L? Let us know your thoughts! 👇