United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hailed England's 4-2 victory in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Croatia, describing it as "a performance to be proud of." The match took place at the Dallas Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday (local time).
In a post on X, PM Starmer congratulated the team for their triumph over Croatia and expressed optimism ahead of their next fixture against Ghana on June 23. "A fantastic result against Croatia and a performance to be proud of. On to the next one," he wrote.
Match Highlights
Captain Harry Kane was the standout performer, scoring twice. Jude Bellingham added a spectacular second-half strike, while substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the victory with a late goal. Thomas Tuchel's side overcame a resilient Croatian team to secure the win.
England earned an early penalty in the 11th minute after Noni Madueke was fouled by Luka Modric inside the box. Although Dominik Livakovic initially saved Kane's spot-kick, a VAR review ruled that the goalkeeper had stepped off his line prematurely, leading to a retake. Kane made no mistake on the second attempt, giving England the lead.
Croatia responded effectively, equalizing in the 36th minute through Martin Baturina. Luka Sucic's powerful run set up the goal, cutting the ball back for Baturina, who fired a fierce shot past Jordan Pickford during a period of sustained Croatian pressure.
Kane delivered a commanding performance, scoring a brace with a penalty in the 12th minute and another goal in the 42nd minute, ensuring England started their campaign strongly.
Historic Milestones
Kane became only the second England player to score in three separate FIFA World Cup tournaments (2018, 2022, 2026), joining David Beckham (1998, 2002, 2006). The Bayern Munich striker also equaled Gary Lineker's record of 10 FIFA World Cup goals, the joint-most by an England player. Additionally, Kane set a new global benchmark by scoring the most non-penalty shootout penalties in World Cup history, with a tally of five.
During the match, Ivan Perisic became the second player to register an assist at four different FIFA World Cup tournaments, joining Argentine legend Lionel Messi as the only players to achieve this feat.
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