England Triumphs Over Croatia in FIFA World Cup 2026 Opener

England's Impressive Start in World Cup 2026

Dallas [US], June 18: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, praised England's remarkable 4-2 victory against Croatia in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, held at Dallas Stadium in Texas on Wednesday (local time). He described the performance as 'something to be proud of.'

In a message shared on X, PM Starmer extended his congratulations to the team for their win over Croatia and expressed optimism for their upcoming match against Ghana on June 23.

'A fantastic result against Croatia and a performance to be proud of. On to the next one,' he stated in his post on X.

During the match, England's captain Harry Kane netted two goals, while Jude Bellingham delivered a remarkable strike in the second half, and substitute Marcus Rashford capped off the scoring with a late goal, helping Thomas Tuchel's squad overcome a resilient Croatian side.

England was awarded an early penalty when Noni Madueke was fouled by Luka Modric in the box during the 11th minute. Although Dominik Livakovic saved Kane's initial shot, VAR intervened, indicating that the goalkeeper had moved off his line prematurely, necessitating a retake. Kane successfully converted the second attempt, putting England ahead.

Croatia responded effectively, equalizing in the 36th minute with a goal from Martin Baturina, who capitalized on Luka Sucic's incisive run and cut-back to unleash a powerful shot past Jordan Pickford during a strong Croatian offensive.

Kane's commanding performance included a penalty goal in the 12th minute and another in the 42nd minute, marking a strong start for England in the tournament.

With this achievement, Kane became only the second England player to score in three different FIFA World Cup tournaments (2018, 2022, 2026), joining the ranks of the legendary David Beckham (1998, 2002, 2006).

Additionally, Kane reached a significant milestone, tallying 10 goals in FIFA World Cup history, tying with Gary Lineker for the most by an England player.

Furthermore, Kane set a new record by scoring the highest number of non-penalty shootout penalties in FIFA World Cup history, bringing his total to five.

In the same match, Ivan Perisic became the second player to provide an assist in four different FIFA World Cup tournaments, joining Argentine icon Lionel Messi as the only players to achieve this remarkable feat.