Kane Equals Lineker’s Record as England Survive Two Croatia Comebacks to Win 4-2 in Dallas

Thomas Tuchel asked for intensity. For 45 chaotic minutes, England gave him the opposite — and Croatia made them pay twice. Harry Kane scored a penalty and a header to equal Gary Lineker’s all-time England World Cup goal record, but Martin Baturina and Petar Musa dragged Croatia level on both occasions before half-time. Then England flipped a switch. Jude Bellingham restored the lead two minutes into the second half, and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed a thrilling 4-2 victory at Dallas Stadium on June 17, 2026. Chaotic, captivating, calamitous at times — this was a World Cup opener unlike any other.

England vs Croatia 4-2 Highlights — A World Cup Group L Classic

England won their opening FIFA World Cup fixture for the third tournament running, but the manner of victory will have given Tuchel as much to worry about as celebrate. A chaotic first half produced four goals, with England twice leading through Kane before Croatia hit back through Baturina and Musa. The match finished with England recording 22 shots to Croatia’s effort, and a staggering expected-goals tally of 2.80 to Croatia’s 0.70 in the second half alone.

Match Summary:

Harry Kane World Cup Goals Record — Captain Equals Lineker’s, Legendary Tally

The drama began early, and it began with VAR. Harry Kane’s first penalty was saved by Dominik Livaković, but the goalkeeper had strayed off his line, and Josko Gvardiol had encroached into the area — forcing a retake. Kane stepped up a second time and made absolutely no mistake, sending Livaković the wrong way to put England 1-0 up in the 12th minute.

England’s lead lasted just 24 minutes. Martin Baturina produced a moment of pure quality in the 36th minute — Petar Sucic laying the ball back to the PSV midfielder, who curled a stunning strike into the right-hand corner via the palm of a despairing Jordan Pickford. A bolt from the blue, and against the run of play. 1-1.

England responded almost immediately. In the 42nd minute, an unmarked Kane rose to head home Declan Rice’s pinpoint corner — restoring the lead and, in the process, equalling Gary Lineker’s all-time England record of 10 World Cup goals. Kane has now also scored the most penalties in World Cup history (excluding shootouts), with five to his name. A captain delivering on the biggest stage, exactly when his country needed him.

But Croatia were nowhere near finished. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Ivan Perišić cleverly nodded on Mario Pašalić’s long ball over the England backline, and Petar Musa — Dallas-based and clearly relishing his homecoming — stayed composed to volley expertly past Pickford. 2-2 at the break. A breathless, error-strewn, end-to-end half that had England fans simultaneously thrilled and terrified.

📺 Watch the full match highlights: England vs Croatia 4-2 — FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Highlights

Jude Bellingham Goal vs Croatia — England Transformed After the Break

Whatever Tuchel said at half-time, it worked instantly.

47′ — Jude Bellingham restores England’s lead. Given the No.10 role ahead of Morgan Rogers, Bellingham drove in from the right wing just two minutes after the restart and finished low across Livaković into the far corner. It was the cue for a complete transformation — England summoned the intensity Tuchel had been demanding all match, laying siege to the Croatia goal and forcing a string of stunning saves from Livaković, who somehow denied Nico O’Reilly, Anthony Gordon and Ezri Konsa from a corner in the 56th minute alone.

Croatia’s resistance — remarkable as it was — could not last forever. Luka Modrić, struggling in midfield and responsible for conceding the opening penalty, was withdrawn on his 199th appearance for Croatia in the 58th minute.

85′ — Marcus Rashford seals it. Substitutes Bukayo Saka and Rashford combined brilliantly in a swift counter-attack, with Rashford curling a composed, low finish beyond Livaković to make it 4-2. The substitute’s introduction, alongside Saka’s, had injected exactly the fresh legs and directness England needed to finally put the game to bed. Kane was even forced to put his body on the line in the 90+5th minute, blocking a goal-bound effort from Gvardiol to protect the result until the final whistle.

Tuchel’s Verdict — Defensive Concerns Despite a Winning Start

England manager Thomas Tuchel did not hide his frustration despite securing all three points: “We played against a top opponent. We showed a bit of nerves. We clearly overthought our decisions. We spent way too much time in a low block, which is not our identity. Both leads didn’t make us freer — it had the impression we had to protect something, and we got punished for it.”

But Tuchel was quick to praise the response: “I love the reaction. We encouraged them to go for it, to play with more courage, be brave and be ourselves. We created a lot of chances. Overall, I think we deserved to win. There are still things to improve; this is quite normal after the first match. We got a tough draw to start against Croatia.”

The centre-back pairing of John Stones and Ezri Konsa was firmly in the spotlight after both Croatian goals — a defensive frailty Tuchel will need to address fast.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L Standings — England Top, Ghana Next

England top Group L after their third consecutive opening-match World Cup victory, with Ghana up next. For Croatia — and the remarkable Livaković, whose heroics kept the scoreline respectable — there is no time to dwell on what might have been. The Three Lions showed both their attacking ceiling and their defensive vulnerabilities in equal measure on a night Dallas Stadium will not forget in a hurry.

For full FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L results, England match updates and live coverage, visit fawanewss.co.uk. Full fixtures, group standings and squads at the official FIFA website.