Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
England 4-2 Croatia | Group L | June 17, 2026 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
A thrilling 4–2 win for England over Croatia, finishing with a 22-10 advantage in shots and generating 2.82 expected goals to Croatia’s 0.54, while gaining all three points to sit atop Group L.
However, the scoreline alone does not tell the full story of a match that swung back and forth before England eventually pulled clear. Here is a breakdown of every key moment.
Credits: CBC Sports
First Half: A Wild, End-to-End Thriller
England carried the most threat early on, but their finishing soon matched their dominance. England struck first in the 12th minute through Harry Kane from the penalty spot. Kane initially saw his effort saved by Dominik Livaković, but the referee ordered a retake after determining the Croatian goalkeeper had moved off his line too early. The England captain made no mistake with his second attempt to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Croatia, however, refused to be shaken. They responded strongly and found an equalizer in the 36th minute, as Martin Baturina produced a moment of quality, firing a superb long-range effort beyond the goalkeeper to level the contest. Pickford got a piece of the ball, but not enough to stop the shot from hitting twine.
England then hit back almost immediately. They regained the advantage six minutes later when Kane struck again, meeting Declan Rice’s corner with a powerful downward header to restore his side’s lead. With that goal, Kane joined Gary Lineker as England’s leading World Cup goalscorer, doing so with two first-half goals in the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia.
Just when England looked set to take a one-goal cushion into the break, Croatia struck again in the final seconds. Perisic darted behind the line to claim a clipped ball over the top, then elegantly flicked it back to Petar Musa, who hit it first time with his side foot and found the gap through Pickford’s legs. The two sides, therefore, went into halftime locked at 2-2, in what had already become one of the tournament’s most entertaining contests.
Second Half: England Pull Away
England wasted no time reclaiming the lead after the restart. In the 47th minute, Jude Bellingham latched onto a superb pass from Elliot Anderson, drove into the penalty area, and finished clinically to make it 3-2. The 22-year-old Real Madrid midfielder didn’t touch the brakes as he made his pursuit toward the net, ultimately going far post and kissing his shot off the post for the go-ahead goal.
Croatia tried to respond, but they soon suffered a setback of their own. In the 57th minute, veteran captain Luka Modric was substituted for Mateo Kovacic during his historic 199th international appearance. Despite the change, Croatia continued to push, and Marco Pasalic drew a diving save from England’s Jordan Pickford in the 76th minute as the Croatians searched for a way back into the game.
England then made their move to settle matters. Manager Thomas Tuchel made a decisive tactical change in the 71st minute, introducing Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Morgan Rogers in a triple substitution designed to add energy and pace. The switch paid off quickly.
Rashford Seals the Win
In the 85th minute, Saka delivered a precise pass to Rashford, who calmly finished to score England’s fourth goal and put the result beyond doubt. Rashford expertly sat his defender down with a sharp feint before coolly slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner, leaving Livakovic with no chance. It was a clinical finish that all but ended Croatia’s hopes of a second comeback.
Final Whistle and Match Stats
England finished with 20 shots, including 12 on target, while Croatia managed 11 attempts and six shots on target. The victory moved England to the top of Group L with three points and a +2 goal difference, while Croatia began the tournament at the bottom of the standings after the opening round.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Group L also features Ghana and Panama, who will look to make their own mark as the group progresses. England will aim to build on this strong start, while Croatia, despite the defeat, showed enough quality to suggest they remain a threat in the race for the knockout stages.
