Four things we learned from England 4-2 Croatia | OneFootball

England are up and running at the 2026 World Cup after a 4-2 win over Croatia in Texas. A fine second-half performance from Thomas Tuchel’s side secured three points, and there were plenty of positives to take from the action.

Here are four things we learned from England 4-2 Croatia.

Tuchel gets big Bellingham call right

It feels as if only England would be debating the merit of starting Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid midfielder is a magnificent talent, but his place in the side was in question ahead of kick-off. Morgan Rogers had featured far more prominently in qualification and enjoyed a more productive club campaign last summer.

But Bellingham was built for the big occasion. Thomas Tuchel named the 22-year-old in his team and was rewarded with a performance full of drive. Bellingham’s burst to put England back ahead swung the momentum back in the Three Lions’ favour, with Tuchel admitting that ‘pressure’ brings out the best in him.

England hopes hinge on Kane

Harry Kane headed into the World Cup after, by his own admission, the best season of his career.

An incredible 61 goals in 51 games fired Bayern Munich to a German double, and Kane continued that rich vein of form into the World Cup. A re-taken penalty opened the scoring, before the 32-year-old met Declan Rice’s corner emphatically to head in England’s second.

Kane, quite simply, is deadly, and the drop-off from the England captain to those next in line is significant. Thomas Tuchel will hope a strapped leg at full-time is nothing serious.

Centre-back could be England’s Achilles heel

England’s forward threat was the real positive of the Croatia win, though there were concerns defensively. Twice, Croatia came back to level, with the Three Lions’ defence far from convincing.

Thomas Tuchel paired Ezri Konsa and John Stones for only the fifth time, and neither centre-back covered themselves in glory. Konsa was bypassed too easily with the lofted pass for Croatia’s second goal, while Stones showed signs of rustiness that come from playing only 439 minutes of Premier League football last season.

Marc Guehi came on late on and, having impressed at Euro 2024, is pushing for a recall. England’s centre-backs are all excellent on the ball, but is Tuchel missing a dominant dueller? It’s an area opposition sides will have taken note of.

Surprise selections prove a point

The announcement of almost every England squad is met with criticism, and Tuchel’s certainly stirred the pot in the media. However, the win over Croatia saw some of the more contentious selections prove a point.

Noni Madueke was picked ahead of Bukayo Saka on the right and showed just what he can bring to this side. The Arsenal winger nipped ahead of Luka Modric to win the penalty, while one brilliant delivery was inches away from finding Bellingham.

Madueke does not have the technical level of a Cole Palmer or Phil Foden, but he’s direct and offered England a key out-ball. His speed stretched Croatia, freeing room for Kane and Bellingham to operate in.

Similarly, Djed Spence’s selection over some more high-profile names puzzled some. On as a substitute, the Spurs full-back burst rapidly into the box to create a goalscoring opportunity and added real energy. In the North American heat, athleticism will play its part.

Read – England player ratings vs Croatia: Kane and Bellingham star in World Cup opener

See more – Tuchel urges Rashford to remain ‘hungry’ after England goal

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