Harry Kane scored twice as England made a winning start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Croatia in a lively Group L clash on Wednesday. The result offered sweet revenge for the Three Lions, who were knocked out by Croatia in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup after surrendering an early lead and losing 2-1 after extra time. Eight years later, England ensured there would be no repeat as they survived a spirited Croatian fightback to claim three valuable points in their opening match of the tournament. England struck first in the 12th minute through Kane, although not without drama. The captain saw his initial penalty saved by Dominik Livakovic, but a VAR review ruled that the Croatian goalkeeper had moved off his line before the kick was taken. Given a second opportunity, Kane calmly converted to hand England an early advantage. Croatia responded positively and were rewarded in the 36th minute when Petar Sucic picked out Martin Baturina with a clever cut-back. The midfielder unleashed a fierce strike from the edge of the box that beat Jordan Pickford despite the goalkeeper getting a touch on the ball. England restored their lead six minutes later. Declan Rice's corner found Kane rising highest in the area, and the Bayern Munich striker powered home a header to make it 2-1. The goal also saw Kane draw level with Gary Lineker's England World Cup scoring record of 10 goals. But Croatia refused to go away. Just before halftime, Ivan Perisic floated a precise pass towards the back post where Petar Musa arrived unmarked to tap home from close range, ensuring the sides went into the break locked at 2-2 after an enthralling first half. England emerged from the dressing room with renewed intensity and regained the lead within two minutes of the restart. Jude Bellingham latched onto a long pass from Elliot Anderson, burst into the penalty area and fired an unstoppable shot beyond Livakovic to put the Three Lions back in front. The goal shifted momentum firmly in England's favour as Gareth Southgate's side dominated much of the second half. Croatia struggled to contain England's attacking movement, though Livakovic produced a string of impressive saves to keep his side within touching distance. The Croatian resistance was finally broken in the 85th minute when substitute Marcus Rashford put the result beyond doubt. The forward collected the ball on the edge of the area before curling a composed finish into the far corner to cap a fine team performance. The victory places England in a strong early position in Group L ahead of their second match against Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 23. Croatia, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they face Panama in Toronto as they seek to revive their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.
