Kane’s double strike inspires England to thrilling Croatia win
Kane makes history, scoring five World Cup penalties and cementing his place among football’s greatest big-match stars.
What unfolded felt less like a tidy opening match and more like theatre: frantic, dramatic and ultimately rewarding for the Three Lions and their supporters.
The first half was breathless. England struck first through Harry Kane after sustained pressure on the Croatian goal. Kane’s penalty — he had to retake it after a Croatian encroachment — was drilled low and precise, and it gave the visitors an early edge. But Croatia were far from intimidated.
Kane’s performance carried familiar hallmarks: an instinct for being in the right place at the right time and the calm of a proven finisher. His two first-half goals handed him another record — the most penalties (excluding shootouts) scored in World Cup history, now five — a reminder of his knack for big moments. Yet the equalizers exposed England’s occasional lapses and Croatia’s ability to punish space.
The second half belonged to a different England. The team returned with urgency and clearer purpose, and Jude Bellingham supplied the spark. Finding space down the right, Bellingham drove into the box and finished with authority into the far corner to restore England’s lead barely two minutes after the restart.
England kept pushing. Interplay, forward runs and set-piece menace kept Croatia under sustained pressure. But Marcus Rashford’s introduction paid dividends: the substitute added a late flourish, converting a chance to make it 4-2 and seal the victory.
Defensively, England had moments of solidity but also patches that allowed Croatia back into the game — especially in that chaotic first half. Declan Rice and Nico O’Reilly worked hard to stem attacks and help transition the team forward, while Djed Spence’s late cameo showed appetite and intent on the right flank. Croatia, for their part, were dangerous throughout, with Musa and Baturina offering constant threat and Marco Pašalić forcing key saves.
For supporters, the match was the kind of emotional ride that explains the World Cup’s pull: a blend of individual brilliance, tactical shifts and the unpredictability of football at its highest level.
This win gives England a springboard in Group L, but it also serves as a reminder: against top opposition, they must marry attacking verve with more consistent defensive cohesion. For now, though, the celebrations are deserved — a thrilling start, and one that signals England will be a team to watch as the tournament unfolds.