England opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a breathless 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas — a result that thrilled and alarmed in equal measure. The performance was part attacking carnival, part defensive nightmare, and fans were left white-knuckled long before the final whistle.

Kane delivers again

Harry Kane was the central figure, scoring twice to take his England tally to 81 goals in 115 appearances. Both strikes came from set-pieces, a trait that has become a hallmark of the captain's play. His path to the game was not smooth — Kane missed a penalty after 12 minutes when he stuttered in his run-up and Dominik Livakovic saved. A VAR review revealed the goalkeeper had strayed off his line, and referee Clement Turpin ordered a retake. Kane stepped up again, sent the ball to Livakovic's left with full conviction this time, and England were ahead.

His second came from a corner delivered by Declan Rice. Kane lurked unmarked at the edge of the area — a curious oversight from Croatia — and steered a precise header between two defenders and into the net. The goal moved Kane level with Gary Lineker's England record of 10 goals at World Cup finals.

Bellingham steals the show

If Kane was impressive, Jude Bellingham was something else entirely. He offered two critical sliding tackles, drove England forward with relentless energy, and capped his display with a composed finish after Elliot Anderson released him down the inside-right channel. Morgan Rogers drew a decoy run that created the space, and Bellingham did the rest — stroking the ball across Livakovic and into the net. Luka Modric, his former Real Madrid team-mate, walked over to congratulate him at full time.

Noni Madueke was another bright spark. His pace tormented Croatia's left flank throughout the first half, forcing Josko Gvardiol and Ivan Perisic to double up on him repeatedly. It was Madueke who won the penalty — Modric attempted a clearance without looking and caught the winger — that led to Kane's opener.

Defensive alarm bells

For all the attacking brilliance, England's defensive frailties were deeply concerning. Croatia equalised after a hydration break — met with boos from England supporters — disrupted the home side's rhythm. Bellingham lost the ball, Petar Sucic exploited John Stones' ill-timed dive, and Martin Baturina swept a composed finish past Jordan Pickford from the edge of the area.

Croatia struck again before half-time. Mario Pasalic dinked the ball into the box, Ivan Perisic directed a header across goal, and Petar Musar — who plays for local MLS side FC Dallas — reacted sharply to stroke the ball past Pickford. In just 45 minutes, England had conceded as many goals as in their previous 21 games combined. Pickford, who had kept eight clean sheets in eight qualifiers, looked uncharacteristically shaky.

Thomas Tuchel, who visibly rushed toward the tunnel at the break, moved quickly after the restart. England re-established their lead within two minutes of the second half through Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford — introduced as a substitute alongside Bukayo Saka and Rogers after 70 minutes — applied the finishing touch, cutting inside Josip Stanisic and placing a precise shot past Livakovic to make it 4-2.

England are through the opening round with three points, but Tuchel has defensive work to do before their next fixture. The absence of Marc Guehi was felt — and the question of whether to restore him to the starting lineup will hang over the camp in the days ahead.