England defeated Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling Group L encounter for their opening World Cup 2026 match. The Three Lions dominated much of the contest, with Harry Kane scoring twice and Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford adding crucial strikes to overcome a spirited Croatian comeback. Despite their defeat, Croatia showed resilience throughout, with Dominik Livakovic making several important saves to keep them in the contest until the final stages.

England earned an early penalty when Luka Modric‘s reckless challenge brought down Noni Madueke, allowing Kane to open the scoring from the spot. Kane doubled his tally with a header from a Rice corner to make it 2-1, but Croatia equalised through Martin Baturina’s composed finish after Petar Sucic’s clever through ball, then Petar Musa’s tap-in at the far post levelled matters at 2-2.

Bellingham restored England’s lead with a stunning solo effort that clipped the post before nestling into the corner, and Rashford sealed the victory late on with a clinical finish from close range after a pass from Saka. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters and AP)