Harry Kane Gets 9/10 | English Players Rated After Their 4-2 Win Vs Croatia In Crucial World Cup Opener | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel’s tournament era kicked off in the only way English football knows how: absolute chaos. A six-goal thriller in the heat of Dallas in the FIFA World Cup 2026 saw the Three Lions secure a vital three points, but the 4-2 scoreline only tells half the story. It was brilliant up front, shaky at the back. It was classic opening-match theatre.

Harry Kane opened the scoring from the spot after a lengthy VAR delay, only for Martin Baturina to level things with an absolute rocket. Kane restored the lead, but defensive lapses allowed Petar Musa to haul Croatia level right before the break. Then came Jude Bellingham, commanding the pitch and putting England ahead early in the second half, before Marcus Rashford killed off the game late on.

England player ratings vs Croatia: 4-2 World Cup win

Jordan Pickford – 5

Not his best night. You couldn’t do much about Baturina’s absolute screamer of an equaliser, but the second goal was a disaster. Completely misjudged the flight of the cross, leaving Musa with an easy task. Nervous on the ball.

Reece James – 6

Brilliant going forward, worrying going back. His overlapping runs down the right flank gave Croatia constant headaches and stretched their backline. However, he got caught out of position multiple times during quick transitions. Improved as the game wore on.

John Stones – 6

Typically composed on the ball. He stepped out of defence well and kept the distribution clean from the back. That lapse in concentration for the second equaliser hurts his grade, though. You cannot lose your man like that in the six-yard box.

Ezri Konsa – 5

Looked like a man playing his first massive tournament game. Musa bullied him physically at times. The Aston Villa defender looked rushed, and a couple of panicked clearances in the first half didn’t help settle the nerves.

Nico O’Reilly – 6

A massive gamble by Tuchel to start the youngster at left-back, but it sort of worked. He played with real maturity. Clearly under instructions to stay home, he focused entirely on keeping things tight defensively rather than bombing forward.

Declan Rice – 7

The modern midfield anchor. He did the dirty work efficiently, breaking up play and shielding a shaky back four before being subbed off late on. His discipline allowed others to break forward with freedom.

Elliot Anderson – 6

Ran his socks off in the engine room. He did a decent job of disrupting Croatia’s rhythm and recycled possession well under intense pressure. He lacked that killer pass to break the lines, though.

Noni Madueke – 6

Frustrating afternoon. The intent was clearly there, and he beat his man for fun during the opening twenty minutes. The final ball just wasn’t right. Too many promising positions resulted in goal kicks or simple clearances.

Jude Bellingham – 8

A colossal performance. He just oozes class. When England looked rattled after the interval, he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. The Real Madrid star’s driven run and clinical finish completely changed the mood in the stadium.

Anthony Gordon – 6

Gave the side much-needed width and raw pace on the left flank. He scared the Croatian full-back a few times but lacked composure when it mattered most. Subbed off in the second half.

Harry Kane – 9

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JUNE 17: Harry Kane #9 of England applauds fans after the 4-2 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L match between England and Croatia at Dallas Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

The skipper delivered. He tucked away the early penalty with minimal fuss (the second time of asking) and showed pure striker’s instinct to poach his second of the night. The Bayern talisman’s hold-up play was immaculate, dragging defenders out of position all game.

Substitutes and tactical impact:

Marcus Rashford – 8

Injected life into the attack after coming on for the final twenty minutes. His movement off the ball was sharp, and he took his goal beautifully to put the game out of reach. Just what Tuchel wanted.

Bukayo Saka – 7

Came on against a tired defence and exploited it instantly. Pure directness. It was his clever, weighted pass that set up Rashford for the goal the sealed the match.

Morgan Rogers – 6

Brought on to add bodies to the midfield. He kept things simple, kept the ball moving, and helped run down the clock.

Djed Spence – 6

Introduced to shore things up defensively on the flank. He kept his head down and did exactly what was asked of him.

Marc Guéhi – N/A

On for the final four minutes. No time to make an impact.

Tactical takeaways for Tuchel

The attacking blueprint is already there. England have terrifying depth on the bench, and the link-up play between Bellingham and Kane will give any side in this tournament serious problems.

The defence is another story. The structural balance looked completely wrong in transition, and better teams will punish the lack of protection across the backline. Tuchel has plenty of work to do on the training pitch before the next group game.