Harry Kane's brace and second-half strikes from Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford powered England to a pulsating 4-2 victory over Croatia in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L opener at Dallas Stadium, Arlington, on Thursday. The Three Lions rode out a chaotic, goal-laden first half to dominate after the break and begin their World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion.

A Chaotic First Half: Four Goals, Two Equalisers

Croatia started the brighter of the two sides, with Declan Rice forced into a crucial early intervention to block a dangerous low cross following a second-minute corner. England's first real opening came through Noni Madueke, who drove down the right and found Kane in the box — his shot on the turn was deflected wide.

From the resulting corner, Madueke reacted quickest to a loose ball, only to be brought down by Luka Modric as the Croatian captain attempted to clear. Kane stepped up from the spot but saw his initial effort saved by Dominik Livakovic; however, encroachment by Josko Gvardiol forced a retake. Given a second chance, Kane drove low into the same corner to open the scoring on 12 minutes.

Croatia hit back through a brilliant right-footed finish from Martin Baturina — a strike Jordan Pickford could only fingertip after an acrobatic dive. England restored their lead when Kane, left unmarked, timed a late run to head home from a corner. But deep in first-half stoppage time, Ivan Perisic found space and laid it off to Petar Musa, who slotted home to make it 2-2 at the break.

England Transformed in the Second Half

England emerged from the tunnel a different proposition. Within two minutes of the restart, Bellingham found space down the right, drove into the box, and fired into the far corner past Livakovic to put England ahead for the third time. The Three Lions then poured forward relentlessly — Bellingham forced a fine save almost immediately, while Nico O'Reilly headed wide from the follow-up corner. Rice also drove forward and bent a shot just too centrally, before Livakovic produced a remarkable triple save, highlighted by a strong hand to deny an O'Reilly header.

Croatia remained a threat, with Pickford making a vital stop from Marco Pasalic roughly 15 minutes from time. Substitute Djed Spence, introduced for Bellingham, nearly added to the tally with a brilliant run down the right — only for Livakovic to save again. But the Croatian goalkeeper was finally beaten when Rashford received the ball in space, cut inside the last defender, and slid home to seal the points.

Kane Makes World Cup Penalty History

Kane's two goals on the night carried significant historical weight. He has now scored five penalties in World Cup football — excluding shootouts — the most by any player in the tournament's history. The England captain's leadership from the spot, even after his initial effort was saved and retaken, underscored his composure on the biggest stage.

Group L Outlook

The 4-2 victory gives England a strong start in Group L, with the three points and a healthy goal difference providing a platform to build on. Croatia, despite their trademark resilience and two equalisers in the first half, will need to regroup ahead of their next fixture. England's second-half performance — particularly the pressing intensity and clinical finishing — will concern rival groups watching from the stands.