England came out swinging against Croatia in their World Cup 2026 Group L opener on June 17, and for the first 30 minutes it looked less like a competitive international fixture and more like a training exercise with an audience. Thomas Tuchel’s side controlled possession, suffocated the midfield, and left Luka Modric looking for pockets of space that simply didn’t exist.

The match, played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, eventually turned into something far more dramatic than that early dominance suggested. England led 3-2 at the 67-minute mark in a game that swung between comfortable cruise and white-knuckle chaos.

Kane and Bellingham deliver in Texas

Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute. Croatia pulled one back through Martin Baturina in the 36th minute. Kane struck again from open play in the 42nd minute to restore England’s cushion. Petar Musa then found the net deep into first-half stoppage time, at 45+5 minutes, cutting the deficit back to one. Jude Bellingham restored some breathing room two minutes into the second half, his 47th-minute strike pushing England to 3-2.

Modric’s quiet afternoon tells a bigger story

Modric is 40 years old. England’s midfield setup under Tuchel was specifically designed to deny him the time and space he needs to orchestrate Croatia’s attacks, and it worked for the opening half hour. Every time he dropped deep to collect the ball, an English midfielder was already there. Every time he tried to drift wide, the passing lanes were closed.

The fact that Croatia still managed two goals despite Modric’s struggles says something about their depth. Baturina and Musa showed that this Croatian side isn’t entirely dependent on its aging maestro.

History and stakes add weight to every minute

These two teams have recent World Cup history that adds a layer of tension to every encounter. Croatia knocked England out in the 2018 World Cup semi-final with a 2-1 victory after extra time. England returned the favor with a 1-0 win in the Euro 2020 group stage.

England entered this tournament with a perfect qualifying record. Croatia sit in Group L alongside Ghana and Panama. Croatia reached the final in 2018 and claimed third place in 2022.

For England, the 3-2 scoreline is both encouraging and slightly concerning. Three goals from Kane and Bellingham is exactly the kind of attacking output Tuchel wants. Conceding twice to a Croatian side that was largely outplayed in the first half is not, with the stoppage-time goal from Musa particularly notable as a defensive lapse.