Man City World Cup 2026 Watch: Six Etihad Stadium stars clash in England vs Croatia | OneFootball

Manchester City’s English contingent came out on top over their Croatian opponents on Wednesday night, emerging victorious in an eventful 4-2 win in Texas.

Thomas Tuchel inaugurated his World Cup chapter with an exhilarating, high-scoring 4-2 triumph as England withstood a fierce Croatia fightback at Dallas Stadium, flashing attacking firepower balanced by defensive vulnerability to lay a chaotic yet successful foundation for their Group L campaign.

The breakthrough materialised after 12 minutes when Harry Kane buried a twice-taken penalty – awarded for a foul on Noni Madueke – after a VAR review penalised goalkeeper Dominik Livaković for encroachment on the initial save.

While an audacious, 120 km/h equaliser from Croatia’s Martin Baturina stunned Jordan Pickford, Kane restored the lead with a far-post header from a Declan Rice corner, lifting his international tally to 81 goals and pulling level with Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals.

However, defensive instability continued to plague the English backline, allowing Petar Musa to slip through the offside trap and poke home Ivan Perišić’s intelligent header with the final kick of the first-half.

The tactical balance was shattered immediately after the interval by Jude Bellingham, who justified his inclusion over Morgan Rogers by driving directly through the Croatian midfield to smash home a spectacular solo effort.

England would ultimately consolidate their grip on proceedings through a sequence of smart defensive substitutions; Marcus Rashford wrapped up three points five minutes from time, calmly slotting past Livaković from a clever Bukayo Saka pass to set up a crucial matchup against Ghana in Boston.

Marc Guehi match statistics vs Croatia

3 Minutes7 Touches7 Accurate Passes100% Pass Accuracy1 Recovery1 Accurate Long Ball

John Stones match statistics vs Croatia

87 Minutes71 Touches62 Accurate Passes95% Pass Accuracy5 Recoveries2 Aerial Duels Won2 Ground Duels Won2 Accurate Long Balls2 Passes Into Final Third1 Tackle1 Clearance1 Was Fouled1 Headed Clearance

Nico O’Reilly match statistics vs Croatia

90 Minutes63 Touches36 Accurate Passes84% Pass Accuracy3 Ground Duels Won3 Passes Into Final Third3 Touches In Opposition Box2 Chances Created2 Successful Dribbles (Most)1 Recovery1 Clearance1 Was Fouled1 Shot On Target1 Aerial Duel Won1 Big Chance Missed1 Accurate Long Ball

Josko Gvardiol match statistics vs England

90 Minutes58 Touches43 Accurate Passes91% Pass Accuracy4 Recoveries4 Passes Into Final Third1 Tackle1 Clearance1 Aerial Duel Won1 Ground Duel Won1 Headed Clearance1 Big Chance Missed1 Accurate Long Ball1 Touch In Opposition Box

Mateo Kovacic match statistics vs England

32 Minutes37 Touches29 Accurate Passes97% Pass Accuracy4 Passes Into Final Third3 Ground Duels Won2 Was Fouled1 Tackle1 Recovery1 Interception1 Shot On Target1 Accurate Long Ball

James Trafford remain unused from the bench for England.

Data courtesy of FotMob.