England defeated Croatia 4-2 in Group L play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas, with goals from Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford giving Thomas Tuchel’s side a winning start despite a spirited Croatian fight. Find a full England vs. Croatia recap of Wednesday’s World Cup game, with updated Group L standings below.
2026 World Cup England vs. Croatia Recap
Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, putting the -145 favorites ahead early. Croatia leveled through Martin Baturina in the 36th minute, but Kane had an answer, adding his second of the afternoon in the 42nd minute to restore the lead before halftime. The brace cashed in at +600 pre-match odds and underlined why Kane remains one of the most dangerous strikers at this tournament.
Croatia refused to go away, with Petar Musa pulling one back in first-half stoppage time to keep the match alive. Bellingham then extended the advantage just two minutes into the second half, pushing England out to a two-goal cushion.
Tuchel turned to his bench in the 72nd minute, bringing on Rashford, Saka, and Rogers to close the game out. Rashford did exactly that, finishing off a Saka assist in the 85th minute to seal a convincing win. Jordan Pickford also deserved credit, producing a sharp stop against Marco Pasalic in the 76th minute to keep the two-goal buffer intact at a critical moment. England were tested but ultimately had too much quality for Croatia.
England vs. Croatia Match Timeline
- 12′ Goal, England, Harry Kane (penalty)
- 36′ Goal, Croatia, Martin Baturina
- 42′ Goal, England, Harry Kane
- 47′ Goal, England, Jude Bellingham
- 45+5′ Goal, Croatia, Petar Musa
- 85′ Goal, England, Marcus Rashford
2026 World Cup Group L Standings
After Wednesday’s England-Croatia match, here are the updated Group L standings:
- England (1-0-0) 3 points
- Ghana (0-0-0) 0 points
- Panama (0-0-0) 0 points
- Croatia (0-0-1) 0 points
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