England kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign in style, overcoming two Croatia equalisers to secure an entertaining 4-2 victory at the Dallas Stadium.
Captain Harry Kane opened the scoring after 12 minutes when he converted a retaken penalty to get his tournament underway.
Croatia responded through Martin Baturina’s powerful strike before Kane restored England’s advantage with a well-taken header.
Petar Musa’s close-range finish on the stroke of half time brought Zlatko Dalic‘s men level once again, but goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford after the break ensured Thomas Tuchel‘s side began the competition with maximum points.
Petar Musa’s sidefoot finish on the stroke of half-time put Dalic’s side on level terms before goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford rounded of a convincing display.
Here, Sports Mole provides player ratings from England’s opening group stage victory.
England player ratings vs. Croatia:
GOALKEEPER
Jordan Pickford – 5/10
Pickford made a couple of comfortable saves, but he will be disappointed not to have kept out Baturina’s powerful effort for Croatia’s opener.
DEFENCE
Reece James – 6/10
Ezri Konsa – 6/10
John Stones – 6/10
Nico O’Reilly – 6/10
The England back four were rarely stretched for long periods, but there were a few sloppy moments in possession and some heavy touches that invited unnecessary pressure from Croatia.
MIDFIELD
Elliot Anderson – 5/10
Declan Rice – 7/10
Rice once again demonstrated his quality from set pieces, delivering the corner that Kane headed home to put England back in front. The Arsenal midfielder controlled the tempo well throughout, while Anderson also made a positive contribution and registered an assist.
ATTACK
Noni Madueke – 7/10
Jude Belllingham – 7/10
Anthony Gordon – 5/10
Harry Kane – 9/10
There was one standout performer in England’s attack. The former Tottenham Hotspur man led by example, scoring twice at crucial moments and showing impressive composure after failing to convert his original penalty before being handed a second opportunity.
SUBSTITUTES
Marcus Rashford – 8/10
Morgan Rogers – N/A
Bukayo Saka – 7/10
Djed Spence – N/A
Marc Guehi – N/A
Some of England’s substitutes had limited opportunities to influence proceedings, but Saka and Rashford combined brilliantly for England’s fourth goal, easing any late nerves and putting the result beyond doubt.
Croatia player ratings vs. England:
GOALKEEPER
Dominik Livakovic – 8/10
Croatia’s goalkeeper was one of the few bright sparks for his side. England grew stronger after the break and would likely have scored even more had Livakovic not produced a series of impressive saves. His performance was particularly notable after he was penalised for encroaching off his line during Kane’s first penalty.
DEFENCE
Josip Sutalo – 6/10
Luka Vuskovic – 6/10
Joško Gvardiol – 5/10
The Manchester City defender endured a difficult evening. He was partly at fault for encroaching into the penalty area too early during Kane’s opening goal, while a number of misplaced passes throughout the game only increased the pressure on Croatia’s defence.
MIDFIELD
Josip Stanisic – 6/10
Luka Modric – 5/10
Mario Pasalic – 6/10
Ivan Perisic – 7/10
Real Madrid legend Luka Modric struggled to impose himself as he appeared at his fifth World Cup tournament. His foul on Noni Madueke led to England’s early penalty, leaving Croatia on the back foot, and he was eventually withdrawn just after the hour mark as Thomas Tuchel’s side began to take control.
ATTACK
Sucic – 6/10
Petar Musa – 7/10
Martin Baturina – 8/10
Baturina and Musa were Croatia’s standout attacking players, scoring the goals that twice brought their side level and giving Dalic’s team hope during difficult periods of the match.
SUBSTITUTES
Kovacic – 6/10
Marco Pasalic – 6/10
Matanovic – 5/10
Vlasic – 5/10
Kramaric – N/A
Mateo Kovacic replaced Modric early in the second half and immediately settled into the game. The former Chelsea midfielder used the ball well, rarely wasted possession and made a positive impression during his time on the pitch, with his omission from the starting lineup unlikely to last long.
Alejandro Serna
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