England open World Cup 2026 with thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia

England began their 2026 World Cup campaign on Wednesday with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Arlington, Texas, in what the report calls the best match played so far in the tournament. The game was full of pace and chances from the start, with England creating far more danger than Croatia throughout.

Harry Kane scored twice for Thomas Tuchel’s side, putting England ahead on both occasions in the first half and becoming the national team’s all-time leading World Cup scorer. Croatia answered both times before halftime through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, leveling the score twice and briefly keeping the contest balanced.

Jude Bellingham restored England’s lead with a quick goal early in the second half, and Marcus Rashford sealed the result near the end with the fourth. England finished with 21 chances, compared with Croatia’s 8, and hit the target 11 times. Croatia managed 5 shots on target, but goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced a standout performance that prevented a heavier defeat.

The article says England were especially dominant in the opening quarter-hour of the second half, when they produced 7 shots, 6 of them on target. Despite Croatia’s brief resistance, England’s superior attacking volume and quality made the result look more convincing than the final score suggests.