England defeats Croatia 4-2 in 2026 World Cup opener

In the opening match of Group 12 at the 2026 World Cup, England secured a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas. Harry Kane scored twice for England, reaching 10 total goals in World Cup history and matching Gary Lineker's national record. Kane also became the first player to score five penalty goals in World Cup tournaments after a retaken spot-kick. Other goals for England were scored by Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, while Martin Baturina and Petar Musa scored for Croatia. Referee Clement Turpin officiated the match. In the other group game, Ghana defeated Panama 1-0 with a 95th-minute goal by Oirenki. England now leads the group standings following this performance under manager Thomas Tuchel.