England open 2026 World Cup with 4-2 win over Croatia

England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opening group-stage match of the 2026 World Cup, with Harry Kane leading the way with two goals. Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute and added his second in the 42nd, giving England control before the break. Jude Bellingham extended the lead early in the second half with a goal in the 47th minute, before Marcus Rashford completed the scoring in the 85th. Croatia pulled level briefly through Martin Baturina in the 36th minute and Petar Musa in first-half stoppage time, but were unable to find an equalizer after the restart. The victory gave England their first three points in a group that also includes Ghana and Panama. Match statistics underlined England's first-half dominance as the foundation of the result.