England beat Croatia 4-2 in World Cup classic as Kane equals Lineker's record
Harry Kane scored twice and Jude Bellingham added a stunning second-half goal as England launched their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The six-goal encounter was one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament's opening round.
A six-goal spectacle in Arlington
England and Croatia justified their billing as the marquee fixture of the first round of group-stage matches, delivering a pulsating 4-2 contest at AT&T Stadium. The 70,389 fans in Dallas watched Kane give England an early lead from the penalty spot after a foul on Noni Madueke by Luka Modrić, though Dominik Livaković saved the initial kick only for a retake to be ordered because the goalkeeper had left his line too early. Kane made no mistake on his second attempt, scoring in the 12th minute.
Croatia responded well and drew level in the 36th minute through a fierce Martin Baturina strike from distance, and after Kane restored England’s lead with a header from a Declan Rice corner, Petar Musa prodded home deep into first-half stoppage time to make it 2-2 at the break.
Second-half dominance seals victory
Thomas Tuchel’s side came out for the second half with renewed intensity, and Bellingham scored with a powerful individual run just two minutes after the restart. Marcus Rashford added a fourth goal in the 85th minute, calmly finishing after a clever move. England’s attack looked formidable, though their defence conceded twice and had several nervy moments.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham sprinkled some stardust under the roof in Dallas to prove why England can do damage at this World Cup. The Three Lions are now certain of winning the group.
- Harry Kane converts penalty after retake due to goalkeeper infringement.
- Martin Baturina equalises with a long-range strike.
- Kane scores his second with a header from a Declan Rice corner.
- Petar Musa levels again for Croatia in first-half stoppage time.
- Jude Bellingham puts England back in front with a solo goal.
- Marcus Rashford seals the win with a clinical finish.
Kane joins World Cup goals elite
Kane’s double took his World Cup tally to 10 goals, matching Gary Lineker’s England record. The Bayern Munich striker now sits alongside Lineker, Grzegorz Lato, Thomas Müller and others on the all-time list, and is only six behind Miroslav Klose’s tournament mark of 16. Modrić, playing his 199th international, had a difficult night after conceding the early penalty.
Other World Cup action
In the same group, Ghana secured a dramatic 1-0 win over Panama, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring in the fifth minute of added time after a tense goalless draw. Ghana’s starting goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi was injured in the first half and replaced by Benjamin Asare.
Earlier, Uzbekistan lost 3-1 to Colombia but enjoyed a historic moment when Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored their first ever World Cup goal, briefly levelling the match in the 60th minute. Luis Diaz and Daniel Muñoz had scored for Colombia, who eased to victory.
