England announced themselves at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a breathless 4-2 victory over Croatia at a sun-drenched Dallas Stadium, delivering a performance that was equal parts exhilarating and alarming.

Harry Kane set the tone before kick-off, urging his teammates to be "free in the mind" and embrace the tournament's pressure. For long stretches, England did exactly that — playing with an attacking verve that has been largely absent from the national team's recent history, even through the Euro 2024 final and the Qatar World Cup quarter-final.

Kane equals Lineker's record

Kane scored twice, equalling Gary Lineker's all-time England World Cup record of 10 goals. The captain now has a remarkable 81 goals in 115 international appearances. His second goal came from the penalty spot after Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was adjudged to have moved early — Kane's first attempt having been saved following his characteristic stuttering run-up.

England led twice in the first half only for defensive lapses to hand Croatia a way back into the contest each time, prompting visible fury from head coach Thomas Tuchel on the touchline. The selection of Ezri Konsa ahead of Marc Guehi drew scrutiny, and Konsa's display did little to settle that debate.

Bellingham ignites the second half

Whatever Tuchel told his players at the interval, it worked. Jude Bellingham restored England's lead within moments of the restart, driving past Mario Pasalic before beating Livakovic with a composed finish. Croatia were then pinned into their own half as England poured forward in waves.

Noni Madueke was bright throughout, earning the first penalty after reacting quicker to a loose ball than Luka Modric. His presence also allowed Thomas Tuchel to protect Bukayo Saka's fitness — a decision that proved sound when Saka entered as a substitute and helped close out the match.

Marcus Rashford wrapped up the win late on, with Tuchel's triple substitution at the 72nd minute — bringing on Rashford, Saka, and Morgan Rogers in place of Anthony Gordon, Madueke, and Declan Rice — underscoring the head coach's attacking intent at 3-2 up.

Pundits praise Tuchel's boldness

Former England forward Wayne Rooney, working as a pundit for BBC Sport, praised the changes: "When I saw the three lads coming on, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers, I said 'I absolutely love these subs'. It's brave and shows he's trying to win the game."

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson echoed that view: "The way he made his subs was brave and bold. The biggest thing I can take from this is that the players who came on gave Thomas Tuchel a real headache and that's the biggest thing for the manager."

Joe Hart, another former England keeper, added: "He said 'we're going to blow these out of the water'. He brought them on and it's so good for the squad for the bench to come on and impact like that."

Defensive concerns remain

England's attacking display will have given future opponents pause — but the defensive frailty on show in Dallas will be the primary concern for Tuchel ahead of tougher tests. Tuchel was also spotted embracing compatriot Jurgen Klopp on the touchline after the final whistle, Klopp having been present as a television pundit.

Unlike the more cautious era under Sir Gareth Southgate, Tuchel has made no secret of his ambitions. "The second star on the shirt" has been his stated goal from the moment he took charge, and his selections and substitutions in Dallas backed that rhetoric with action.

England now turn their attention to Group L's next fixture — a meeting with Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.