England edge Croatia 4-2 in rollercoaster World Cup opener

Abdullateef Fowewe

England produced a thrilling start to their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in a pulsating opening match that swung wildly before the halftime whistle.

England took the lead in the 12th minute from the penalty spot when captain Harry Kane, after his original effort was saved, calmly converted a retake following opposition encroachment.

Croatia responded through Martin Baturina’s smart finish from the edge of the box in the 36th minute, finding the bottom corner after a clever pass from Petar Sučić to level the scores.

Just before halftime Kane restored England’s advantage with a powerful header from a Declan Rice corner in the 42nd minute, but Croatia again drew level deep into first-half stoppage time when Petar Musa turned in a cross from Ivan Perišić, leaving the teams deadlocked 2-2 at the break.

The second half opened brightly for England when Jude Bellingham surged into the box and finished clinically from an Elliot Anderson pass in the 47th minute to put the Three Lions back in front.

The match remained end-to-end and intense as both sides probed for openings, but it was a late substitution that sealed the result, Marcus Rashford, introduced off the bench, calmly slotted home a Bukayo Saka-assisted counter in the 85th minute to make it 4-2.

The game drew widespread praise as one of the tournament’s most entertaining fixtures so far, a high-intensity encounter that showcased England’s physicality and attacking depth against Croatia’s experience and resilience, marshalled by veteran Luka Modrić.