EnglandvsCroatia

Result

England opened their World Cup with a thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, Harry Kane scoring twice as a chaotic first half produced four goals. Kane converted a retaken penalty inside 12 minutes, Martin Baturina curled Croatia level and Kane headed in Declan Rice's corner before Petar Musa equalised in first-half stoppage time. Jude Bellingham restored the lead barely two minutes after the restart, racing onto Elliot Anderson's pass, and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed it five minutes from time after combining with fellow replacement Bukayo Saka. Luka Modrić, in his fifth World Cup, was withdrawn on the hour as Croatia faded.

England 4-2-3-13-4-2-1 Croatia

England

Croatia

Kane12'

Baturina36'

Kane42'

Musa45'+5'

Bellingham47'

Rashford85'

52%Possession48%

22Shots10

11On target5

3Saves7

8Corners2

406Passes completed381

86%Pass accuracy86%

9Tackles11

37Touches in box16

Substitutions

Rashfordfor Gordonat 72'

Kovacicfor Modricat 58'

Sakafor Maduekeat 72'

Matanovicfor Musaat 66'

Rogersfor Riceat 72'

Marco Pašalićfor Vuskovicat 66'

Spencefor Bellinghamat 80'

Vlasicfor Baturinaat 78'

Guéhifor Stonesat 87'

Kramaricfor Mario Pašalićat 78'

At this Stage

One round into Group L, England hold exactly what a favourite wants: the lead, three points, and a statement attached. The 4-2 over Croatia — Harry Kane's double at its spine — puts them top at +2, one goal ahead of Ghana, who beat Panama 1-0 to make it two winners and two chasers. Croatia's arithmetic stings more than their performance: two goals scored, more than Ghana and Panama managed together, yet bottom of the group at -2, with Luka Modrić's fifth — and presumably final — World Cup starting uphill. Panama sit third at -1. One matchday settles nothing in a four-team group, but the framing is set: England's perfect qualifying campaign has rolled straight into a perfect start, and the other three are already measuring the gap to it.

Group L

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
England	1	1	0	0	+2	3
Ghana	1	1	0	0	+1	3
Panama	1	0	0	1	-1	0
Croatia	1	0	0	1	-2	0

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

England to win, but not as comfortably as the rankings suggest. Thomas Tuchel's side came through European qualifying with eight wins from eight and a 22-0 goal difference, and a spine of Rice, Bellingham and Kane is among the strongest in the field. Croatia, though, remain a serious tournament side — Modrić, Kovačić and Gvardiol give them control and quality — even if this is widely seen as Modrić's last World Cup and the supporting cast is ageing. England's depth and Bellingham's threat from deep should be the difference; 2-1.

Both cases written 2026-06-16, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 28% belongs to the draw.