England v Croatia: Kane Equals Lineker’s Record as Three Lions Overpower Croatia in Dallas Thriller

• Harry Kane scored twice to equal Gary Lineker’s England record of 10 World Cup goals as the Three Lions beat Croatia 4-2 in their Group L opener at Dallas Stadium.
• Jude Bellingham restored England’s lead two minutes into the second half and Marcus Rashford added a fourth after Croatia had twice fought back to level in a chaotic first half.
• Kane’s retaken penalty and towering header gave England a winning start to a third consecutive World Cup, while Luka Modric extended his Croatian record with a fifth tournament appearance at the age of 40.

Tuchel’s Halftime Words Spark Dominant England Display After Four-Goal First Half

Harry Kane equalled Gary Lineker’s all-time England record of 10 World Cup goals as the Three Lions overcame a chaotic first half to beat Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling Group L opener under the retractable roof at Dallas Stadium. Kane’s brace, combined with second-half strikes from Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford, gave Thomas Tuchel’s side a winning start for the third tournament running, though Croatia twice drew level before the break in a contest that was far from straightforward.

The match began with drama from the penalty spot. Noni Madueke, one of England’s World Cup newcomers, drew a foul from 40-year-old Luka Modric, who was extending his Croatian record by appearing at a fifth World Cup. Kane had missed a spot kick on his previous World Cup appearance, the 2022 quarterfinal against France, and the ghosts of that evening momentarily resurfaced when Dominik Livakovic dived to his left to save. Referee Clement Turpin, however, ordered a retake after replays showed Livakovic had stepped off his line and Josko Gvardiol had encroached. Kane went to the same corner a second time, Livakovic dived the other way, and the ball hit the net. It was Kane’s fifth penalty at a World Cup, a record for non-shootout spot kicks in tournament history.

Croatia responded with a terrific equalizer in the 36th minute. Petar Sucic laid the ball back to Martin Baturina on the edge of the area, and the young midfielder curled a shot into the right-hand corner that ticked off Jordan Pickford’s palm on its way in. England regained the lead six minutes later when Kane rose to meet Declan Rice’s corner with a powerful header that Livakovic had no chance of saving. It was Kane’s 10th World Cup goal, drawing him level with Lineker’s record set across the 1986 and 1990 tournaments, and his 81st in an England shirt.

Croatia refused to fold. On the stroke of halftime, Mario Pasalic played a ball over the top of England’s back line and Ivan Perisic cleverly nodded it on for Petar Musa. The FC Dallas striker, playing roughly 40 miles from his MLS home ground, volleyed a composed finish past Pickford to make it 2-2 at the break. It capped a breathless 45 minutes that left both coaches with plenty to address.

Tuchel’s halftime intervention proved decisive. Kane revealed the nature of the message delivered in the dressing room. “Credit to the manager, the manager gave us a speech at half-time as if to say, ‘Look, if we lose, we lose in our way’ and you saw that with how we came out in the second half. We went full gas and they couldn’t deal with it and that’s the level we have to set for every game so credit to everyone – the first game of the tournament, a great result against a top side. Just the intensity we went at, that’s our biggest strength so we’re going to have to use that more in this tournament,” Kane said.

The transformation was immediate. Bellingham, given the number 10 role ahead of Morgan Rogers, restored England’s advantage just two minutes into the second half. He took a long pass, stayed clear of his defender and drove in from the right wing before finishing low across Livakovic and in off the far post. It was his seventh international goal and it opened the floodgates. Bellingham almost scored again moments later, and Livakovic was forced into a string of saves during a frenetic spell of English pressure that left Croatia reeling.

The fourth goal arrived in the 85th minute. Substitute Bukayo Saka produced excellent work down the right before setting up fellow replacement Rashford, who finished with composure to seal the victory. The result snapped Croatia’s six-game unbeaten streak in World Cup group-stage matches stretching back to 2014.

Tuchel was candid about the contrast between the two halves. “Good reaction, the first half was a bit complicated for us. It was a bit nervy. The decisions we took, we chose to go safe and go backwards. We struggled to find any rhythm and didn’t have the confidence to go through the gaps. I saw a statistic of 33% of ground duels won in the first half and 73% in the second, so even off the ball was not good enough, not committed enough. I loved the reaction of the players in the second half. It was emotional; there were a lot of emotions involved. It took us a while to get going,” the England coach told ITV.

Bellingham echoed his manager’s assessment. “In the first half we were a little but nervy, a little bit cagey. We set up well defensively, pressed well, defensively were good without the ball but with the ball probably [we were] rushed a little bit. Then in the second half we created a nicer rhythm and that’s where you saw the best of us. The early goal at the start of the second half gave us a good platform. I think the second half was a constant level, the intensity without the ball was top-level, the substitutes who came on were unbelievable,” the Real Madrid midfielder told ITV.

Kane, named Player of the Match, also became only the second Englishman after David Beckham to score in three World Cups. The Bayern Munich striker’s record-equaling display came inside the air-conditioned AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, where white-clad English fans celebrated while Croatian supporters in their familiar red-and-white checkered colors were left to reflect on what might have been. England face Ghana in Foxborough on Tuesday, while Croatia meet Panama in Toronto on the same day.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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