Harry Kane showcased his scoring prowess with two goals as England held off a determined Croatian comeback to claim a 4-2 victory in their opening Group L match of the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday in Texas. The win provided manager Thomas Tuchel with an ideal start to the tournament.
England opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Kane successfully converted a retaken penalty. Croatia’s captain, Luka Modric, was penalized for fouling Noni Madueke in the box, and though goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic initially parried Kane’s effort, a VAR review revealed he had moved off his line, prompting a retake.
The Three Lions controlled much of the first half but momentarily faltered at the 36-minute mark when Martin Baturina capitalized on a midfield mistake to drill the ball past Jordan Pickford. However, England swiftly regained the lead six minutes later when Declan Rice’s precision corner found Kane unmarked in the box. The striker headed home his second goal of the match, tying Gary Lineker’s England World Cup record with ten goals.
Defensive frailties continued to haunt England, and Croatia leveled once again in first-half stoppage time. Petar Musa took advantage of lax marking to score from close range, ensuring a 2-2 deadlock at halftime in what was shaping up to be a thrilling encounter.
Just two minutes into the second half, Jude Bellingham restored England’s advantage with a superb solo effort, driving forward unchallenged before slotting a composed finish into the bottom corner. The goal energized the 1966 world champions, who dominated much of the remaining play. Despite several chances from Kane, Nico O’Reilly, and Bellingham, the margin remained slim.
Croatia pressed hard for another equalizer in the dying stages, but England sealed the victory five minutes from time when substitute Marcus Rashford added a fourth goal. The result gave Tuchel’s team an emphatic start to their campaign as they embark on their quest for their first major international trophy in nearly 60 years.
