England have kickstarted their World Cup campaign in style, securing a spectacular 4-2 victory over Croatia in a high-scoring Group L opener at the Dallas Stadium.
Captain Harry Kane led by example, netting a brilliant brace to twice give the Three Lions the lead in an incredibly open first half.
However, Croatia refused to lie down, fighting back on both occasions through clinical finishes from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.
Thomas Tuchel’s tactical adjustments proved decisive after the interval. Jude Bellingham restored the lead with a sublime effort before Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score a late, definitive fourth.
The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Croatia, whose 19-year-old defensive starlet Luka Vuskovic was hauled off after just 66 minutes after struggling to cope with England’s relentless Premier League physicality.