Kane's Brace

England Wins Thrilling Showdown Against Croatia

Harry Kane scored a brace and gave Jude Bellingham a hug.(Bild: GEPA)

England defeated Croatia in a clash of European powerhouses and celebrated an entertaining start to the World Cup.

Harry Kane put the “Three Lions” ahead twice in the 4-2 (2-2) win in Dallas with his ninth and tenth World Cup goals—one on a penalty kick (12th minute) and one on a header (42nd minute)— Martin Baturina (36th) and Petar Musa (45’+5) each equalized. Jude Bellingham put England back in front shortly after halftime (47th), and Marcus Rashford (85th) sealed the final score.

(Bild: AFP/CHARLOTTE WILSON)

England was thus rewarded for a marked improvement in the second half. After aiming for three points to start the tournament, Thomas Tuchel’s team will next face Ghana, while Croatia will take on Panama in their second group match.

(Bild: GEPA)

Kane Scores on His Second Attempt
Croatia started strongly and put England’s defense under pressure early on. However, less than ten minutes had passed when Luka Modric, in his 199th international appearance, made a mistake. The Croatian captain struck opponent Noni Madueke while attempting to clear the ball, and referee Clement Turpin, unsurprisingly, pointed to the penalty spot. Kane was denied by Dominik Livakovic but was allowed another shot after Turpin spotted a foul by the Croatian player. On his second attempt, the Bayern Munich striker left the goalkeeper with no chance.

(Bild: AFP/MICHAEL STEELE)

England was able to control the match comfortably for the time being after Kane scored his 80th goal in an England jersey. Bellingham narrowly missed the ball after half an hour on a cross from Madueke. The 2022 World Cup bronze medalists capitalized on a quick counterattack to equalize. Baturina took a shot from outside the penalty area, and Jordan Pickford’s fingertips couldn’t prevent the 1-1 tie. But the Three Lions had their captain: Kane added to his goal tally off a corner kick, having an unusual amount of time and space to place his header. The 32-year-old now matches Gary Lineker’s record of ten World Cup goals.

(Bild: AFP/RICHARD PELHAM)

Croatia Was Effective, Too
But the Croatians remained effective as well, equalizing once again seconds before the halftime whistle. Musa, who plays for FC Dallas, scored off a well-timed header assist from Ivan Perisic. In an entertaining match, the fans in the stands showed their displeasure only once. When the whistle blew for the water break in the 22nd minute, loud boos echoed through the stadium. Critics complain that the breaks are nothing more than interruptions for advertising purposes.

(Bild: AFP/PAUL ELLIS)

The second half had barely begun when the fifth shot on goal was taken. Bellingham powered his way down the right flank and found the far corner off the inside post. England could have extended their lead shortly afterward through Bellingham and Nico O’Reilly. Croatia was reeling. A Livaković in top form saved his team with yet another stop against Kane.

Modric left the field just past the hour mark after a mixed performance. From the bench, he watched as Croatia, following offensive substitutions and taking risks, threw everything forward once more. But England sealed the victory: Substitute Rashford scored the sixth goal of the match. In the 95th minute, Kane prevented the score from becoming 3–4 with a clearance in his own penalty area. For the 1966 World Cup champions, the tournament got off to a perfect start.