Kane levels Lineker’s record as England beat Croatia 4-2 in a wild opener

England got their 2026 World Cup campaign moving with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, though the scoreline flattered a defence that twice let a two-goal night turn ragged before second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford settled it. Harry Kane scored twice in a chaotic first half that ended level at 2-2, and the Three Lions had to find another gear after the break to take control of their Group L opener.

A penalty that took three minutes to score

The opening goal set the tone for a chaotic afternoon. Kane stepped up in the 12th minute and saw his penalty saved by Dominik Livakovic, only for a VAR check to flag the goalkeeper for coming off his line early and Josko Gvardiol for encroachment. After a wait of more than three minutes, Kane retook the kick and rolled it into the same corner, refusing to overthink the second attempt.

Croatia hit straight back through Martin Baturina, who levelled with a fierce strike from distance. Kane restored the lead before the break, rising to meet a Declan Rice corner and heading powerfully past Livakovic. Croatia were not done, and Petar Musa got in behind the back line to make it 2-2 at half-time, sending Thomas Tuchel’s side into the interval with plenty to fix.

Bellingham and Rashford take over

England did not wait long to retake the lead after the restart. Bellingham collected the ball, drove at a backpedalling Croatia defence and curled a finish in off the post for 3-2, the kind of individual moment that flattens a momentum swing. Rashford, on from the bench, then put the result beyond doubt late on, finishing off a move to make it 4-2 and hand England a winning start despite the defensive wobbles.

Tuchel will be encouraged by the firepower and far less so by the way Croatia carved his side open twice in the first half. Luka Modric, playing in his fifth World Cup, pulled strings for a Croatia team that competed for an hour but lacked the legs to match England’s pace once the game opened up.

Kane closes in on Lineker’s record

The brace carried real weight for Kane. The Bayern Munich striker arrived at the tournament with eight World Cup goals and his two against Croatia took him to 10, level with Gary Lineker for the most World Cup goals ever scored by an England player. One more, at any point in this tournament, would leave him standing alone at the top. The night also pushed Kane to 17 goals across major international tournaments, underlining how central he remains to England’s hopes at 32.

Bellingham added a milestone of his own, becoming the youngest European player to feature at four different major tournaments at 22. For all the noise around the back four, England left Dallas with three points and a forward line that looks ready for a long summer.

What comes next

England sit alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L, and the opening win gives Tuchel breathing room before the group tightens. Croatia, beaten but far from outclassed, will fancy their chances of recovering against the group’s other two sides. For England, the message is simple: the attack is firing, but the defending has to be cleaner if this run is going to last.

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