Kane's Brace and Rashford's Late Strike Seal England's Six-Goal World Cup Opener Against Croatia
Mark Strijbosch
England recovered twice from first-half equalisers before pulling clear in a 4–2 Group L victory over Croatia, with Harry Kane reaching 10 World Cup goals.
England Answer Croatia Twice Before Substitutes Seal Points in Dallas
Harry Kane converted a retaken penalty and headed home from Declan Rice's corner to give England two first-half leads, yet Croatia responded both times through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa's stoppage-time finish. The pattern broke two minutes into the second half when Jude Bellingham drove into the box and scored, and Marcus Rashford's 85th-minute strike confirmed a result that had remained in doubt deep into the contest.England's 4–2 win gives Thomas Tuchel's side three points in a group containing Ghana and Panama. Kane's double moves him level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals, while Bellingham and Rashford added the finishes that turned a back-and-forth contest into a comfortable margin. Croatia face immediate pressure after conceding four goals in their tournament opener.
Key Events
Minute | Event | Player / Team | Description |
12' | Goal | Harry Kane / England | Penalty converted on retake after VAR detected encroachment |
36' | Goal | Martin Baturina / Croatia | Right-footed finish from edge of box after Bellingham turnover |
42' | Goal | Harry Kane / England | Unmarked header from Rice's corner into left corner |
45+5' | Goal | Petar Musa / Croatia | Right-footed finish from Perišić assist to level at break |
47' | Goal | Jude Bellingham / England | Drove into box and finished after Anderson's pass |
85' | Goal | Marcus Rashford / England | Cut inside onto right foot from Saka's assist |
Kane's two goals came from set pieces—a penalty and a header from a corner—while Croatia's equalisers arrived from open play. Bellingham's goal restored the lead within two minutes of the restart after Musa's late first-half finish, and Rashford sealed the win after replacing Anthony Gordon at 72 minutes.
Player Ratings
England
Player | Rating | Description |
Harry Kane | 8.8 | Two goals including penalty retake and header from corner |
Jude Bellingham | 7.7 | Scored to restore lead but turnover led to Baturina's goal |
Elliot Anderson | 7.6 | Assisted Bellingham's goal and contributed throughout in midfield |
Marcus Rashford | 7.5 | Scored decisive fourth goal after entering at 72 minutes |
Declan Rice | 7.4 | Assisted Kane's header and forced save from Livakovic |
Bukayo Saka | 7.3 | Assisted Rashford's goal after replacing Madueke at 72 minutes |
Jordan Pickford | 7.2 | Made saves from Marco Pašalić, Matanovic, Kovacic, and Gvardiol |
Noni Madueke | 7.1 | Won penalty and created chance at 15 minutes before substitution |
Reece James | 7.0 | Contributed delivery and forward runs from right side |
Ezri Konsa | 6.8 | Steady involvement in buildup despite defensive issues |
John Stones | 6.7 | Part of defence that conceded twice before late replacement |
Nico O'Reilly | 6.7 | Headed wide from corner and involved in double-save sequence |
Morgan Rogers | 6.4 | Maintained possession after replacing Rice at 72 minutes |
Anthony Gordon | 6.3 | Limited involvement before being replaced by Rashford |
Djed Spence | 6.2 | Provided defensive support after replacing Bellingham |
Marc Guéhi | 6.0 | Late replacement for Stones with minimal time on pitch |
Croatia
Player | Rating | Description |
Martin Baturina | 7.5 | Scored equaliser and showed creativity before substitution at 78 minutes |
Petar Musa | 7.4 | Finished well for stoppage-time goal before departing at 66 minutes |
Ivan Perišić | 7.2 | Assisted Musa's goal and delivered set pieces throughout |
Petar Sučić | 7.1 | Assisted Baturina's goal and helped circulate possession |
Dominik Livakovic | 7.0 | Saved initial penalty and denied Kane three times at 57 minutes |
Joško Gvardiol | 6.8 | Header saved by Pickford at 90+5 and involved in buildup |
Marco Pašalić | 6.8 | Shot saved at 76 minutes after entering at 66 minutes |
Mateo Kovacic | 6.7 | Shot saved at 84 minutes after replacing Modrić |
Igor Matanovic | 6.5 | Shot from distance saved by Pickford at 77 minutes |
Josip Sutalo | 6.5 | Headed over from corner at 3 minutes and defended throughout |
Mario Pašalić | 6.3 | Shot went wide in first half before substitution |
Nikola Vlašić | 6.2 | Limited involvement after entering at 78 minutes |
Andrej Kramaric | 6.2 | Unable to create clear chance after replacing Mario Pašalić |
Josip Stanisic | 6.0 | Struggled with possession on multiple occasions |
Luka Vuskovic | 5.8 | Positional error contributed to Bellingham's goal |
Luka Modrić | 5.5 | Fouled Madueke for penalty before substitution at 58 minutes |
Line-Ups and Subs
England started with Pickford in goal, a back line including Konsa, Stones, and James, with Rice and Anderson in midfield. Bellingham operated in an advanced role behind Kane, with Madueke and Gordon wide. Tuchel selected Madueke ahead of Bukayo Saka.Croatia used Modrić at 58 minutes and made a double change at 66 minutes, bringing Matanovic and Marco Pašalić for Musa and Vuskovic. England's triple substitution at 72 minutes saw Rashford, Saka, and Rogers replace Gordon, Madueke, and Rice. Further changes followed at 78 and 79 minutes before Guéhi replaced Stones at 87 minutes.Saka was unavailable to start due to fitness concerns. Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Harry Maguire were absent from the final squad.
First Half: Kane Scores Twice but Croatia Level Before Break
Croatia created the first chance when Josip Sutalo headed over from Ivan Perišić's corner at 3 minutes. England earned a penalty after Luka Modrić fouled Noni Madueke inside the area. Kane's initial spot-kick was saved by Dominik Livakovic, but VAR detected encroachment and ordered a retake. Kane converted at 12 minutes to open the scoring.Madueke had a shot blocked at 15 minutes after beating his marker inside the box. Bellingham created chances at 21 and 31 minutes without testing Livakovic directly. Croatia equalised when Baturina collected Petar Sučić's pass and finished from the edge of the box at 36 minutes, capitalising on a Bellingham turnover.Kane restored the lead at 42 minutes, rising unmarked to head Rice's corner into the left corner. Croatia struck back in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Petar Musa finished from Perišić's assist. The half ended 2–2.
Second Half: Bellingham Restores Lead Before Rashford Seals Victory
Bellingham collected Elliot Anderson's pass two minutes after the restart, drove into the box as Luka Vuskovic moved the wrong direction, and finished with his right foot to make it 3–2. England created a flurry of chances: Bellingham forced a save at 48 minutes, Nico O'Reilly headed wide at 49 minutes, and Rice drew a save at 52 minutes.Kane had three shots saved by Livakovic at 57 minutes. Croatia's substitutes found shooting positions—Marco Pašalić at 76 minutes, Matanovic at 77 minutes, Kovacic at 84 minutes—but Pickford saved each attempt.Rashford sealed the result at 85 minutes. Saka found him on the left, and he cut inside onto his right foot before curling past Livakovic. Gvardiol's header from a corner at 90+5 minutes was saved by Pickford to preserve the 4–2 scoreline.
Tactical Notes
Croatia started with a back three of Gvardiol, Vuskovic, and Sutalo, with Modrić deeper and Baturina advanced. Dalić switched to a back four at 66 minutes when Marco Pašalić replaced Vuskovic. England's set pieces proved decisive—both Kane goals came from dead balls—while Croatia's open-play finishing kept them level until half-time. Tuchel's 72nd-minute triple substitution introduced the players who combined for the fourth goal.
Broader Implications
England's three points place them in control of Group L ahead of fixtures against Ghana and Panama. Croatia must recover from their opening defeat. Kane's 10 World Cup goals equal Gary Lineker's England record, while Baturina's performance suggested Croatia possess emerging talent beyond their established core.
Off-the-Pitch Context
The fixture recalled England and Croatia's 2018 World Cup semifinal, when Croatia won in extra time. Modrić, now 40, was substituted at 58 minutes after conceding the penalty—a moment that may carry weight given his status as Croatia captain and the team's generational transition.
