What some England fans did during Croatia clash could lead to FIFA action | OneFootball

England kicked off their World Cup campaign with a win over Croatia, but some fans breached FIFA rules during the game

England began their 2026 World Cup campaign in style on Wednesday night, beating Croatia 4-2 at the Dallas Stadium in one of the games of the tournament thus far.

The momentum swung back and forth throughout the Group L opener in a rematch of the semi-finals eight years ago.

Thomas Tuchel's side took the lead twice in the first half through a brace from Harry Kane, the first coming from the penalty spot, but were pegged back both times thanks to goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.

It didn't take long for England to restore their lead in the second half, though, as Jude Bellingham finished off the post less than two minutes after the restart, and Marcus Rashford came off the bench to secure the three points five minutes from time.

With the tournament kicking off last Thursday, the Three Lions were one of the final sides to play their first group match this summer. It was a long wait for the England fans stateside, but it was definitely worth it.

England fans breach FIFA rule for political chant

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Approximately 15,000 England fans filed into the Dallas Stadium to watch Thomas Tuchel win his first major tournament match as the national team manager, but a select few face punishments for breaking FIFA rulings inside the ground.

Per SportBible, Anti-Kier Starmer chants were heard from parts of the England contingency, namely "Kier Starmer is a w*****."

It was reported ahead of the matchup with Croatia that, under FIFA's code of conduct, fans must "not use offensive language or gestures" and that there is a strict prohibition on political messaging in the grounds, too.

Additionally, fans are prohibited from displaying banners or flags that display political messages or commemorate the war dead, but poppies are still permitted on them. They're also not allowed to be over a certain size, which some fans found out yesterday, too.

Reports on Tuesday outlined that the FA faces the risk of a "major international penalty" if political chanting is heard, and fans face being thrown out of stadiums, too. Although it is still unknown if anyone was thrown out of the Dallas Stadium last night during the group stage win.

Former EFL stars shine in England's opening win over Croatia

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The behaviour of a select few fortunately didn't dim the shine of England's opening win of the 2026 World Cup campaign, as the Three Lions looked electric going forward, albeit a little nervy at the back at times.

The 26-man squad collectively holds 2,195 minutes of EFL football amongst them. Ollie Watkins, who was an unused substitute, has the most Championship experience in the side, with 135 second-tier appearances, all with Brentford.

Captain Harry Kane, who drew level with Gary Lineker atop the all-time England goalscorers at World Cups with his brace, cut his teeth in the EFL with the likes of Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City during loan spells from Tottenham Hotspur.

And, one of the most successful EFL origin stories added a new chapter on Wednesday night, too, as Birmingham City academy star Jude Bellingham set the Three Lions on their way in the second half with a brilliant solo goal.

Thomas Tuchel's side continues their group phase on Tuesday night in Boston against Ghana, who also kicked off their tournament with three points against Panama, albeit in rather dramatic circumstances after Caleb Yirenkyi netted the only goal of the game in the 95th minute.

A win in that second group game would confirm qualification, as the Three Lions strive to better their quarter-final exit from four years ago.