England defeated Croatia 4-2 in the first match of the group stage of the FIFA World Cup. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In the 12th minute, England striker Harry Kane converted a penalty. In the 36th minute, Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina equalized. In the 42nd minute, Kane put England ahead with his second goal. In the 45+5th minute, Croatian forward Petar Musa restored parity. In the 47th minute, midfielder Jude Bellingham again put England ahead. In the 85th minute, forward Marcus Rashford scored England's fourth goal, setting the final score at 4-2.
Thus, England earned their first three points and topped Group L.
In the second round of Group L, England will face Ghana (June 23), and in the third round, Panama (June 28). Croatia will play Panama in the second round (June 24) and Ghana in the third round (June 28).
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Portugal failed to beat DR Congo at the start of the 2026 World Cup. Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo in their first match. Goals were scored by João Neves and Yoane Wissa.