England responds in great World Cup debut
The confrontation between England and Croatia carried historical weight. The teams were facing each other again in a World Cup after England's painful elimination in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, when the Croatians won 2-1 in extra time. Now, in a new chapter of this rivalry, England got their revenge with a top-notch attacking display.
The team led by coach Thomas Tuchel entered the field with an aggressive proposal, putting pressure on the opponent's ball and using the speed of its attacking players to exploit the spaces left by the Croatian defense. The strategy paid off especially in the second half, when the depth of the English squad made the difference.
Balanced first half with four goals
England opened the scoring in the 12th minute with Harry Kane from the penalty spot. The attacker initially stopped at goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, but the referee ordered the penalty to be repeated after a VAR analysis for invasion and irregular movement during the defense. On the second attempt, Kane didn't waste it.
Despite the initial blow, Croatia showed why they remain one of the most respected teams in world football. In the 36th minute, Martin Baturina hit a beautiful shot from outside the box and tied the game.
England went back in front shortly after, again with Kane, this time taking advantage of a set piece and scoring with a header.
When it looked like the English would take the lead into the break, Croatia reacted again. Musa appeared in the final minutes of the first half and left everything the same: 2-2, in an extremely busy first half.
Jude Bellingham takes the lead in the second half
After the break, England showed maturity and technical quality. Right at the beginning of the second half, Jude Bellingham scored the third English goal, taking advantage of the team's moment of superiority.
In addition to the goal, the midfielder had a dominant performance, commanding the transition between defense and attack and demonstrating why he is considered one of the main names of the new generation of world football. His ability to control the pace of the match was essential for England to take control of the game.
Rashford completes victory and confirms the strength of the English squad
Even with Croatia trying to seek a draw, England managed the spaces better and counted on the quality of their players who came off the bench.
In the 85th minute, Marcus Rashford took advantage of a great play created by Bukayo Saka to score the fourth goal and secure the 4-2 victory.
The move symbolized one of the main characteristics of this English team: squad depth. With several high-level offensive options, Thomas Tuchel managed to maintain the team's intensity throughout the 90 minutes.
What does victory mean for England at the World Cup?
The debut with three points puts England in a favorable position in Group L, which also includes Ghana and Panama. In addition to the result, the way the team won leaves positive signs.
The attack demonstrated creativity and decision-making power, with Kane, Bellingham and Rashford directly participating in the goals. The team showed personality to respond whenever Croatia managed to equalize the score.
On the other hand, the English defense still showed moments of vulnerability, allowing Croatia to find spaces and score twice. For a team seeking the world title, defensive adjustments should be part of Thomas Tuchel's next challenges.
Croatia shows quality, but suffers from decisive errors
Although defeated, Croatia left a competitive impression. Zlatko Dalić's team managed to balance the game for much of the match, mainly due to the experience of its midfield led by Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić.
However, small mistakes at important moments were costly. The penalty at the beginning of the match and some defensive difficulties in the face of English speed ended up being decisive for the final result.
Conclusion
England's 4-2 victory over Croatia was one of the most memorable games at the start of the 2026 World Cup. The clash delivered everything expected from a major international duel: intensity, goals, stars deciding and constant changes of scenery.
For the English, the result reinforces their status as title candidates and increases the confidence of a squad full of talent. For the Croatians, despite the defeat, their competitive performance shows that the team still has the capacity to fight for a place in the knockout stage.
If the debut is any indication of what's to come, England appears as a team capable of producing attacking and exciting football under Thomas Tuchel.
