England, one of the favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, secured its first victory in the tournament by defeating Croatia, a tough opponent, thanks to a multi-goal performance by star striker Harry Kane (Bayern Munich).
Ranked 4th in the FIFA rankings, England defeated 14th-ranked Croatia 4-2 in the first Group L match of the tournament, held at Dallas Stadium in the U.S. on the 18th (Korean time). England had previously failed to advance to the final after being halted by Croatia in the semifinals of the 2018 Russia World Cup, but this time they successfully avenged that defeat.
The match was intense from the opening minutes. In the 9th minute of the first half, during a corner kick situation, England’s Noni Madueke (Arsenal) was fouled by Luka Modrić (AC Milan) inside the box, earning a penalty kick.
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Kane stepped up as the taker and attempted a shot to the right after hesitating to steal the goalkeeper’s timing, but it was saved by Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livaković (Dinamo Zagreb), who guessed the direction. However, the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review confirmed that Livaković’s foot had strayed off the goal line before the shot, and a retake was awarded. Kane calmly converted the penalty by sending the ball into the same corner, scoring the opening goal.
Croatia did not back down easily. In the 36th minute of the first half, Martin Baturina (Como) equalized with a blistering right-footed mid-range shot from near the penalty arc. Kane restored England’s lead in the 42nd minute with a running header from a corner kick, but in added time, Petar Musa (Dallas), receiving a clever header from Ivan Perišić (Eintracht Frankfurt), levelled the score with a right-footed volley.
The decisive moments came in the second half. In the 2nd minute, midfield general Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) created a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper after a solo dribble on the right flank and calmly slotted the ball into the net, putting England 3-2 ahead. In the 40th minute, substitute Marcus Rashford (Barcelona) added a fourth goal to seal the victory.
Kane, who scored a brace, became the first English player since David Beckham to score in three consecutive World Cups (2018, 2022, 2026). He also reached a total of 10 World Cup goals, tying Gary Lineker’s record as England’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament. Notably, five of Kane’s goals came from penalty kicks, a record for the most penalty goals in World Cup history.
MSN
