England produced a mightily impressive attacking performance in its 4–2 victory over Croatia in Group L’s opening fixture in Arlington, Texas.

An enthraling first half at AT&T Stadium produced four goals, evenly shared between the European adversaries. Harry Kane struck the first blow for England, his early penalty kick converted at the second time of asking after referee Clément Turpin ordered a retake due to a mixture of defender encroachment and goalkeeper Dominik Livaković moving off his line too quickly.

Kane was on the scoresheet again shortly before the halftime whistle, thundering home a header from Declan Rice’s corner to restore England’s lead after Martin Baturina’s beauty had leveled up. However, Petar Musa conjured Croatia’s second equalizer with the last kick of the half as he fired in from close range.

Just two minutes after the restart, England took the lead for the third time, Jude Bellingham justifying his selection as England’s No.10 with a powerful drive and neat finish from a tight angle. A flurry of high-quality efforts ensued, but the Three Lions inexplicably could not extend the advantage.

Luckily for Thomas Tuchel, he was able to call upon Marcus Rashford from the bench, and the 28-year-old wrapped up the win for England with a composed finish five minutes from the end.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

After Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all delivered goal-laden performances during Tuesday’s World Cup action, attention turned to whether Kane could follow suit. Unsurprisingly, the 32-year-old Bayern Munich superstar delivered.

Having previously managed eight World Cup goals and the Golden Boot in Russia in 2018, Kane took just 12 minutes to open his account in North America. While fortuitous to be presented a second bite at his penalty after his initial effort was saved, he exhibited quality under pressure to lash the next kick into the bottom corner.

Kane spent much of the first period dropping deep to knit play and spread long-range passes to England’s attackers, but the reason he scored 61 goals for Bayern Munich last season was down to his penalty box instincts. Effortlessly finding room in the area from a corner, he scored his unmarked header with venom and precision to briefly restore England’s lead.

A hat-trick eluded Kane in the second half, but he continued to wreak havoc, taking up deep-lying positions to create space for teammates to sprint behind enemy lines. Tuchel allowed his skipper the freedom of the field and was thoroughly rewarded, both with two crucial strikes and terrific link play.

England is a genuine contender for this summer’s trophy, and that’s in no small part down to its talismanic striker.

England Player Ratings vs. Croatia (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Jordan Pickford—6.3: Baturina’s venomous effort was struck with power, but Pickford could have done better having laid a glove on the shot.

RB: Reece James—6.2: Offered offensive support wherever possible, but was unable to whip any special crosses into his forwards.

CB: Ezri Konsa—6.1: Selected ahead of Marc Guéhi and while the Aston Villa defender didn’t make any notable individual errors, England was far from their defensive peak in Texas.

CB: John Stones—6.5: Much like Konsa, the England stalwart didn’t ooze confidence when Croatia attacked with vigor and speed.

LB: Nico O’Reilly—6.7: Almost scored with a firm header from a corner and the youngster never looked overawed during his debut appearance at a major tournament.

CM: Elliot Anderson—8.0: Provided the aggression required in the engine room and set up Bellingham’s goal with an enticing long-range pass in behind. An incredibly assured first World Cup display.

CM: Declan Rice—7.4: Having fine-tuned his set-piece delivery for Arsenal last season, Rice’s pinpoint corner landed directly on Kane’s forehead for England’s second.

RW: Noni Madueke—7.6: Hugely impressive deputizing for Arsenal clubmate Bukayo Saka, winning England’s early spot kick and causing consistent chaos with his direct approach. One stunning cross to the penalty spot deserved to be converted.

AM: Jude Bellingham—8.3: After winning the battle with Morgan Rogers for a starting berth, Bellingham exhibited his unrivaled quality with his well-taken strike.

LW: Anthony Gordon—6.3: Anonymous for the most part, much to the disappointment of any Barcelona supporters watching their new signing.

ST: Harry Kane—9.0: Delivered under pressure in England’s time of need, throwing his hat into the ring for the 2026 Golden Boot already.

SUB: Morgan Rogers (72’ for Rice)—6.9: Created two chances and made an impact.

SUB: Marcus Rashford (72’ for Gordon)—7.2: May have earned a promotion to the next XI against Ghana following an excellent finish from the bench.

SUB: Bukayo Saka (72’ for Madueke)—7.6: Teed up Rashford and looked lively.

SUB: Djed Spence (80’ for Bellingham)—6.3

SUB: Marc Guéhi (87’ for Stones)—N/A

Subs not used: Dean Henderson (GK), James Trafford (GK), Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins.

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Noni Madueke benefited from Saka’s fitness issues to start and wasted no time in asserting himself. The winger’s dazzling speed and relentless darts in behind Croatia’s defensive line were integral to England’s joy in the final third, and such an electric performance offers Thomas Tuchel a selection headache for next Tuesday’s game against Ghana. Saka will be worried.
• There were question marks over who Tuchel would select in attacking midfield, but his decision to name Bellingham in the XI was vindicated. An indefatigable display saw the Real Madrid star power around the field with his characteristic swagger and his attacking threat was underscored by an excellent goal, which has surely cemented his starting spot moving forward.

The Numbers That Explain England’s Important Win

• Many expected a defensively rigid performance from England, but Tuchel allowed his attacking players to enjoy themselves in Arlington. The Three Lions racked up 22 shots on target and an expected goals (xG) total of 2.8.
• England was not at the peak of its powers in defense, but Croatia was notably clinical. Zlatko Dalić’s side only managed 0.71 xG, yet still scored twice.
• Kane’s brace means he’s now England’s joint-top goalscorer at World Cups, matching Gary Lineker’s 10 strikes in the competition.

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