England 4-2 – Harry Kane scored twice in the first half, including a penalty retake after a mistake by Luka Modric, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford added late goals as England opened its 2026 World Cup run with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Arlington, Texas.
England’s World Cup opener didn’t start politely—it started with a penalty kick, a retake, and a stunned Croatia defense in the ninth minute.
By the time the teams walked out in Arlington. Texas. Dallas Stadium was packed with a sell-out crowd of 70. 389. and the noise from “God Save The King” carried louder during the national anthem. Then the match turned into a sprint: England hit Croatia early. Croatia answered before halftime. and England still found a late finisher to close the door on a 4-2 result.
Harry Kane opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a penalty kick. His shot initially hit the back right of the net. but the penalty was originally blocked—then a retake was ordered after replay showed Dominik Livakovic left his feet too early. The buildup included a sequence where Declan Rice sent in a corner kick. which then led to a foul by Luka Modric on Noni Madueke in the box. giving England another penalty opportunity. The captain’s mistake set the tone early.
England carried that momentum into the first half, finishing the period with a brace from Kane. Kane added the second goal with a header from Declan Rice’s assist off a corner. Croatia’s response didn’t come in one clean swing. either—it arrived as two sharp strikes that kept the game from slipping away. Martin Baturina tied it for Croatia in the first half with a goal set up by an entry pass to Petar Sučić. who passed it back to Baturina. Just before halftime. another Croatia moment cut the deficit further: Petar Musa scored on a left-footed kick. with Ivan Perišić heading a pass midair from Mario Pašalić into Musa’s driving run. making it 2-2 heading into the break.
When the second half began, England’s offense turned the match into a chase. Jude Bellingham restored the lead in the 47th minute with a left-footed strike after finding a crease down the right side. Elliot Anderson was credited with the assist.
Croatia couldn’t afford many mistakes from there. and England pressed with the kind of attacking volume that showed in the numbers and the rhythm. England had held possession 55% of the game so far compared to Croatia’s 28% in the opening stages. and set-piece pressure mounted as well—England had eight corner kicks to Croatia’s one so far.
Even so, Croatia nearly made the game wobble again. With England ahead 3-2 as the second half progressed, a shot on goal from Marco Pasalić was saved by Jordan Pickford, and it was the closest threat to a 3-3 equalizer.
England then put the match to bed with Marcus Rashford’s 84th-minute goal. Rashford. who entered for Anthony Gordon in the 70th minute. made a “filthy” cut-back move for the score. extending England’s lead to 4-2. The moment landed during a final stretch where England had clearly shifted into control. including a slowdown in pace approaching the final hydration break in the second half.
If the second half belonged to England’s push. it was also a reminder that Croatia remains dangerous when it finds timing—just late enough to scare a packed stadium. but not enough to steal points. The match featured multiple shifts that underlined how the game was being managed: Luka Modrić was subbed out for Mateo Kovačić early in the second half. and Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković was repeatedly forced into action as England’s attack kept finding angles.
One sequence before halftime had already shown how quickly things could turn: a Noni Madueke cross to a slashing Jude Bellingham didn’t become a goal. even though Bellingham was down briefly in the box and stayed on. Earlier, Madueke had also drawn a foul from Luka Modrić to help set up Kane’s penalty kick.
For Kane, the night landed with historic weight. He entered the afternoon up to nine career goals at the World Cup in 12 appearances. He scored six goals in 2018 when he won the Golden Boot, and he scored twice in 2022. He also became the first player in World Cup history to score five penalty kicks in the tournament’s history. excluding shootouts.
Emotion didn’t stay confined to the scoreline. FC Dallas’ Peter Musa was visibly emotional after scoring his first career World Cup goal for his home country. and the goal came right down the road from his MLS club team. The crowd also filled the stadium atmosphere beyond the pitch: Dallas Cowboys legends Dez Bryant and Emmitt Smith were shown on the big screen and were met with huge applause.
The game’s final score—England 4-2 Croatia—left Croatia needing to stay sharp moving forward in Group L, while England’s result served as a statement start to its 2026 World Cup title aspirations.
England is scheduled next to play on June 23 vs. Ghana at 4 p.m. ET (Boston/Foxborough, MA), and then on June 27 vs. Panama at 5 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, NJ). Additional match listings in the tournament schedule show June 17 vs. England at 4 p.m. ET (Arlington, TX), June 23 vs. Panama at 7 p.m. ET (Toronto, ON), and June 27 vs. Ghana at 5 p.m. ET (Philadelphia, PA). The matchup kickoff for England-Croatia took place at 4:00 PM ET.
Goalkeepers and lineups reflected the tournament’s global mix. England’s listed goalkeepers included Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), and James Trafford (Manchester City). Croatia’s group included Dominik Livaković (Dinamo) and other options such as Dominik Kotarski (Copenhagen) and Ivor Pandur (Hull City). England’s roster featured names including Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid). Declan Rice (Arsenal). and Harry Kane (Bayern Munich). while Croatia’s squad included Luka Modrić (Milan). Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City). and Marcus Rashford was noted in the match context as on loan from Manchester United to Barcelona.
The football itself matched the stakes. England opened its 2026 World Cup path with four goals. Croatia answered in bursts—two late first-half strikes included—and by the time Rashford scored in the 84th minute. the sell-out crowd at Dallas Stadium had watched a game that refused to stay one-sided for long.
England vs Croatia 2026 World Cup Harry Kane Jude Bellingham Marcus Rashford Luka Modric Dominik Livakovic Jordan Pickford Arlington Texas World Cup Group L