Can England maintain their momentum against Ghana, or will the Black Stars provide the first major upset of Group L?
England Beat Croatia 4-2 in World Cup Thriller
England delivered a statement of intent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, coming from an erratic first half to beat Croatia 4-2 in an entertaining Group L opener at Dallas Stadium. The Opta match centre now reflects the final score, with Harry Kane scoring twice, Jude Bellingham adding a third after the restart, and Marcus Rashford finishing the job late on. The match began in dramatic fashion when England won a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes. Kane’s first effort was saved by Dominik Livaković, but the kick was ordered to be retaken after encroachment from Josko Gvardiol and the goalkeeper stepping off his line, and the England captain made no mistake from the second attempt. Croatia refused to buckle. Martin Baturina levelled before halftime, only for Kane to restore England’s lead with a powerful header from a Declan Rice corner. Croatia then answered again in first-half stoppage time through Petar Musa, who finished from an Ivan Perisic knockdown to leave the game finely poised at…
