By Blessing Nweke
England began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in impressive fashion with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Arlington, Texas, as captain Harry Kane scored twice to match England’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
The Group L encounter was an entertaining contest from start to finish. Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a retake was ordered following a VAR review. Croatia responded through Martin Baturina, but Kane restored England’s lead with a powerful header from a corner. Croatia struck again just before halftime when Petar Musa found the net, sending the teams into the break level at 2-2.
England emerged stronger after halftime. Jude Bellingham put the Three Lions ahead only two minutes into the second half after racing onto a long pass and finishing confidently past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. England then controlled much of the remainder of the match before substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the victory with a late goal.
Kane’s brace took his World Cup tally to 10 goals, drawing level with former England striker Gary Lineker as the nation’s joint-leading scorer in World Cup history. The Bayern Munich forward also delivered a commanding all-round performance, contributing both in attack and defense throughout the match.
While England’s attacking display will encourage manager Thomas Tuchel, defensive lapses that allowed Croatia to equalize twice remain an area of concern ahead of upcoming group-stage matches. England will next face Ghana, while Croatia take on Panama as the battle for qualification from Group L continues.
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