England 4-2 Croatia. six goals goals, a halftime equaliser, and Harry Kane matching Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals for England. Group L’s opening night in Dallas did not disappoint.
Kane put England ahead from the penalty spot after 12 minutes. Straightforward. Clinical. But Croatia had other ideas. Martin Baturina levelled with a superb strike in the 36th minute, before Kane headed England back in the lead from a corner in the 42nd minute. Then Petar Musa prodded home deep into first-half stoppage time to leave it 2-2 at the break. England had squandered the lead twice and the mood at Dallas Stadium shifted.
England’s response was immediate. Jude Bellingham drove down the right, into the box and fired into the far corner just two minutes after the restart to make it 3-2. When Marcus Rashford converted after combining with substitute Bukayo Saka in the 85th minute, the result was sealed.
Kane’s second goal, his 42nd-minute effort that briefly made it 2-1, moved him level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals for England. It is the kind of record that puts a career in context. Lineker set that mark across two tournaments. Kane has now matched it across three.
Bellingham made history of his own. At this World Cup, he became the youngest European player to feature in four different major senior tournaments. The 22-year-old was decisive at the moment England needed settling, his goal immediately changing the dynamic of a match that had threatened to unravel.
It was chaotic but controlled where it mattered. England hit 22 shots in total. Croatia’s tactical approach came close to working. Baturina’s equaliser was a reminder of their quality on the break. Ivan Perisic’s involvement in the lead-up to Musa’s goal showed Croatia can punish lapses. But four goals in a World Cup opener is a significant statement.
Six England players made their senior World Cup debuts in Dallas, including Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly. The squad depth is real. The attacking output is clear.
In Group L, England and Ghana sit level at the top after Matchday 1, both on three points. The Black Stars beat Panama 1-0, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring a stoppage-time winner. England’s superior goal difference, plus-two against Ghana’s plus-one , puts them fractionally ahead at the top.
For Croatia, the picture is sharp. Two wins from their remaining two group games are the minimum requirement to have any hope of advancing. Their first-half showing proved the talent is there. The margin for error after Matchday 1 is zero.
England’s next Group L fixture is against Ghana. It is the kind of test that will show whether Matchday 1 was a signal or simply a statement.
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