Harry Kane rescued England from an embarrassing start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, converting a retaken penalty to give the Three Lions an early advantage against Croatia.

Why the penalty was retaken

The spot kick opportunity arose after Luka Modric fouled an England player in the box during a corner. Kane stepped up with confidence — yet his first effort, placed to Dominik Livakovic's left, was saved by the Croatian goalkeeper.

Initial suspicion fell on Livakovic for leaving his line too early, a decision influenced by Kane's stuttering run-up — a deliberate tactic used by penalty takers to read the goalkeeper's movement. However, Livakovic kept at least one foot on the line, making any encroachment by him difficult to confirm conclusively.

The decisive factor proved to be a Croatian outfield player. Following Livakovic's save, Croatia defenders surged into the penalty area and cleared the loose ball. Replays confirmed that Josko Gvardiol had reached the ball only by entering the box before Kane struck it — a clear encroachment offence.

The referee ultimately cited both violations: Livakovic's positioning and Gvardiol's encroachment. The penalty was ordered to be retaken.

Kane makes no mistake second time

Given a second chance, Kane converted with a cheeky, composed finish — placing the ball in the same spot that Livakovic had saved from moments earlier. The Bayern Munich striker, who has missed just one penalty for the German club since arriving in 2022, showed nerves of steel after the unusual setback.

England's strong World Cup openers

The goal continued a fine tradition of England performing well in their opening World Cup fixtures. In 2022, the Three Lions defeated Iran 6-2, with Kane contributing two assists, while in 2018 they edged Tunisia 2-1 — Kane netting twice that day. The 32-year-old showed once again that major tournament pressure holds no fear for him.