Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The England national football team opened their FIFA World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over the Croatia national football team in their Group L opener in Dallas.
England striker Harry Kane was the standout performer, scoring twice in the 12th and 42nd minutes. Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also found the net for England. Croatia's goals came from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.
Kane's first goal came from the penalty spot. His initial effort was saved by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, but the referee ordered a retake after ruling that the goalkeeper had left his line before the kick was taken. Kane converted the second attempt.
With his brace, Kane reached 10 goals at FIFA World Cups, equalling the England record previously held by Gary Lineker. He also set a World Cup record with five converted penalties and became only the second England player after David Beckham to score at three World Cups.
Following the opening round of matches, England lead Group L, which also includes the Ghana national football team and the Panama national football team.
England will face Ghana on 23 June in the second round of group matches, while Croatia will play Panama on the night of 24 June.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico and is the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 national teams. The competition will conclude on 19 July. The reigning world champions are the Argentina national football team.
