Kane and Bellingham shine in England's victory over Croatia

DALLAS -- England kicked off their Group L campaign with a dramatic 4-2 win over Croatia. Harry Kane's retaken 12th-minute penalty got Thomas Tuchel's side off to a perfect start before Martin Baturina equalized on 36 minutes with a curling finish from outside the box. Kane headed in Declan Rice's corner to restore England's lead, but Petar Musa finished a brilliant Croatia move to draw them level again in first-half stoppage time.

Jude Bellingham fired England ahead again just two minutes into the second half, collecting Elliot Anderson's pass before firing low across Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and in off the far post. England created a raft of chances thereafter with Livakovic making six saves in a stunning five-minute spell before Marcus Rashford came off the bench to make the points safe, curling in a fourth with five minutes remaining. England next faced Ghana in Boston on June 23, the same day Croatia played Panama in Toronto.

Kane, having seen Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé leave their early marks on the World Cup, joined the rest of the world’s elite on the scoring charts with his double. Kane was asked who he regarded as the best strikers at this tournament and picked out Mbappé and Haaland.

Though his first penalty was well-saved, he ditched the pause in the run-up on the retaken effort to calmly slot the ball home. His header, bizarrely unmarked, was also well-taken in the 42nd minute. More than just a striker, Kane was integral in every facet of the match, even dropping deep at one point to aid with a kick-off routine. Again, Kane displayed his indispensability, making a key block off Josko Gvardiol in injury time to maintain England's two-goal lead.

Bellingham’s selection as England's No. 10 had been debated for months, with Tuchel opting for Bellingham’s star power in Dallas. Initially wasteful in possession, Bellingham suddenly came alive, finishing low into the net after collecting Anderson's clever 47th-minute pass, proving to be the decisive moment.

In contrast, Croatia's Luka Modric, who made history as one of the oldest players to participate in the World Cup, struggled against England. Substituted after 57 minutes, Modric's performance was subdued, though Martin Baturina posed Croatia's main threat. Ultimately, Tuchel’s effective management and substitutions proved successful as England debuted dynamically in the tournament.