England's attack, led by Harry Kane, put on a show against Croatia in the World Cup curtain-raiser for both teams.
For 45 minutes, this had the makings of another England worry fest — two leads surrendered, two soft goals conceded, the old ghosts stirring. Then Thomas Tuchel gave the team the right motivation at the half.
England stopped being generous, and the game tilted in their favor for good. The 4-2 scoreline at Dallas Stadium undersells how one-sided the second half became. Harry Kane has a brace. Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford supplied the rest.
Croatia hung around, then got buried. Two more goals, of course. A retaken penalty he buried without blinking, then a textbook finish off a Declan Rice delivery. A brace in a World Cup opener from a man who treats scoring like a chore he's contractually obligated to complete.
The Bayern Munich numbers have stopped being numbers and started being satire: 36 Bundesliga goals this season — a third straight Golden Boot, the most in Europe's top five leagues — and 58 in all competitions. He is, right now, the most clinical finisher alive. But the finishing isn't even the best part. Watch where he operates.
Kane spent long spells dropping into midfield, spraying passes, setting tempo, springing Bellingham into space. A No. 9 who is also your best No. 10. That's not a striker. That's a two for one deal that England simply cannot live without.
The xG told one story; the eye test told a louder one. England piled up 22 shots, 11 of them on target. The only reason this wasn't a rout was Croatia keeper Dominik Livaković, who at one point produced a save-rebound-save scramble to deny midfielder Nico O'Reilly, then winger Anthony Gordon, then center back Ezri Konsa in the span of seconds.
The width was relentless — winger Noni Madueke constantly pushing on the right, and Gordon stretching on the left — making the middle of the field worse for Croatia because that's where Jude Bellingham lives. Time and again he collected the ball, drove through the lines and arrived in the box, finishing the third himself and combining slickly with Rice, Kane and Elliot Anderson. When England clicks going forward, few teams on earth create chances this cleanly.
This was a genuinely excellent attacking performance. Let's be honest: the 2018 magic isn't walking back through that door. This Croatia squad won't grind its way to a World Cup final on penalties and sheer stubbornness like it did in Russia. The legs aren't quite there.
But write them off at your peril. Luka Modrić, 40 and playing his fifth World Cup, didn't have a vintage performance and gave up a penalty, but still moves around like he's 10 years younger. Around the veterans — Ivan Perišić, Mateo Kovačić — sits a genuinely exciting next wave. Como's Martin Baturina announced himself with a thunderbolt of an equalizer.
Petar Sučić is a complete box-to-box midfielder coming through the ranks. Josip Stanišić is a Champions League regular at Leverkusen. The quality is still there, but Croatia's first test happened to be against one of the best five nations at the World Cup. Croatia conceded four and still looked like a team that won't be fun to draw, assuming they advance from this group.
That blend of veteran savvy and youth should cause problems to the middle of the pack. Here's the catch on an otherwise glowing day: England fell asleep defensively. Twice in the first half they took the lead, and twice they switched off in midfield — the Petar Musa equalizer came straight from a snooze, Perišić slipping behind the line and heading it back for the first-time finish through keeper Jordan Pickford's legs.
There's a pattern here that predates this match: England get ahead, get comfortable, and invite pressure they never needed to. Against Croatia, this team simply had the firepower to outscore the problem. Against a France or a Spain in a knockout, it won't. The talent is overwhelming — the bench alone coughed up Rashford's curler.
Tuchel's job isn't adding more attack. It's convincing this team that a two-goal lead is a reason to step on a throat, not ease off it.2026 World Cup Quarterfinal Odds: Which Squads Will Make Final 8?2026 World Cup: France Favored, England Rises After Opening WinsGet more from the FIFA Men's World Cup2026 World Cup Quarterfinal Odds: Which Squads Will Make Final 8?2026 World Cup: France Favored, England Rises After Opening WinsFOX SPORTS™, SPEED™, SPEED.
COM™ & © 2026 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Use of this website constitutes your acceptance of these
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tuchel faces key decisions as England prepare for World Cup opener against CroatiaEngland's coach Thomas Tuchel is set to announce his starting lineup for the World Cup clash with Croatia amid ongoing debates over selection, injury updates, and fan concerns over costs in Dallas.
Read more »
England vs. Croatia—World Cup: Preview, Predictions and LineupsA repeat of the 2018 World Cup semifinal kicks off Group L.
Read more »
England's World Cup Opener Against Croatia Highlights New Wave of WAGs Amid Glamour and ScrutinyAs England kicks off their World Cup campaign against Croatia, the spotlight extends beyond the pitch to the partners of the players, with Megan Pickford emerging as a key figure among a new cohort of WAGs. The article explores the shifting landscape of player relationships, the absence of previous high-profile partners, and the arrival of new faces, all while England seeks to replicate their 1966 glory.
Read more »
World Cup Best Bets Today (Predictions for England-Croatia, Ghane-Panama, and More)World Cup action continues on Wednesday as the final set of teams will be playing in their first matches of the tournament. After today, the second round of Gro
Read more »