The England national team defeated Croatia 4-2 in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The teams delivered one of the highest-scoring and most intense matches of the tournament's opening round, UNN reports.
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The English opened the scoring as early as the 12th minute thanks to a Harry Kane penalty. The Croatians equalized in the 36th minute following a goal by Martin Baturina, but Kane completed his brace before halftime to put his team ahead once again.
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However, in first-half stoppage time, Petar Musa restored parity, and the teams went into the break with the score at 2-2.
Bellingham and Rashford secure the victory
At the start of the second half, Jude Bellingham put England ahead once more following an assist from Elliot Anderson. After this, the Croatians attempted to fight back, making a series of substitutions, but were unable to equalize.
The final blow was dealt in the 85th minute by Marcus Rashford, who scored after a pass from Bukayo Saka. Ultimately, England secured a 4-2 victory and made a successful start to the World Cup.
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