Croatia’s campaign at the World Cup 2026 began with a defeat, as the national team faced England in the opening fixture of Group L in Dallas. The match concluded with a 4-2 victory for the English side. Despite demonstrating offensive capability and taking the lead on multiple occasions during the first half, Croatia struggled to contain the English attack during the second period.
The scoring began in the 12th minute when Harry Kane put England ahead following a penalty kick. However, the Croatian squad responded swiftly. Martin Baturina equalized the score at 1-1, capitalizing on a service from Petar Sučić.
Shortly before the interval, Kane scored his second goal, this time with a header following a corner kick, giving the English a 2-1 advantage. Croatia managed to level the score once more through Petar Musa, ensuring the halftime whistle blew with the score at 2-2. The second half proved to be a period of superior performance for the English players.
They capitalized on their attacking momentum, securing the decisive goals through Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford. These late goals ultimately secured the three points for England, marking a challenging start to the World Cup for the Croatian squad. The result provided the English team with a significant early boost in their tournament campaign.
Topics: #world #cup #english
