2026 World Cup: England Make Statement with 4

England kicked off their FIFA World Cup Group L campaign in style, defeating Croatia 4–2 in an entertaining contest on Wednesday. Captain Harry Kane starred with two goals, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also found the net as the Three Lions secured all three points in their opening match.

The 2022 finalists struck first through Kane, who calmly converted a retaken penalty to hand England an early lead. Croatia responded positively and drew level through Martin Baturina, setting up a fiercely contested first half.

England regained the advantage before the interval when Kane rose highest to power home his second goal of the evening. However, Croatia refused to back down and once again pulled level in first-half stoppage time, with Petar Musa finishing clinically to make it 2–2 heading into the break.

The deadlock lasted only two minutes after the restart. Bellingham produced a moment of brilliance, driving forward before unleashing a superb strike to restore England’s lead. The midfielder’s goal shifted the momentum firmly in England’s favor as Gareth Southgate’s side began to take control of proceedings.

Croatia continued to search for another equalizer, but England’s defense stood firm. With the match entering its closing stages, Rashford put the result beyond doubt, finishing off a swift attacking move to seal a convincing 4–2 victory.

The win places England in a strong early position in Group L and extends their unbeaten start to the tournament. Croatia, despite showing resilience by twice coming from behind, will now look to bounce back in their next group-stage fixture.