Harry Kane wheeled away after coolly slotting in his retaken penalty, continuing his fine form as England secured a 4-2 victory over Croatia in World Cup 2026 Group L. Dominik Livakovic made several outstanding saves to prevent the scoreline from becoming more lopsided.
England (4-2-3-1)
Jordan Pickford – 6: Could have done better with Baturina’s goal but made a crucial late save to keep England ahead, though he looked shaky overall.
Reece James – 6: At fault for losing his man for the second equaliser. Dangerous in attack but not as solid defensively.
Ezri Konsa – 6: Struggled in the first half but improved after the break. His place could come under pressure from Marc Guéhi.
John Stones – 6: Looked rusty and made a nervy start, but improved as the game progressed. Needs more minutes to regain sharpness.
Nico O’Reilly – 7: Got forward at every opportunity and should have scored from a corner. A work in progress defensively.
Elliot Anderson – 8: Kept things ticking over nicely in midfield and delivered an excellent ball to set up Bellingham’s goal.
Declan Rice – 7: Produced a pinpoint corner for Kane’s header but was not his usual dominant self in midfield, appearing fatigued after a long season.
Noni Madueke – 8: Won England’s penalty and looked very dangerous down the right flank in place of Bukayo Saka.
Jude Bellingham – 7: Guilty of losing the ball in the buildup to Croatia’s first goal but made amends in style with a brilliant goal.
Anthony Gordon – 6: On the periphery for most of the first half and couldn’t make an impact despite his best efforts.
Harry Kane – 9: Played more like a quarterback than a striker at times but still equalled England’s World Cup finals scoring record.
Substitutes: Marcus Rashford (for Gordon 72) – 7: Picked his spot brilliantly for his goal that even Livakovic couldn’t get near. Morgan Rogers (for Rice 72) – 6: Struggled in central midfield and looked far more comfortable further forward, with a great ball to set up Spence. Bukayo Saka (for Madueke 72) – 7: A surprise to see him given injury concerns but played a part in Rashford’s clincher. Djed Spence (for Bellingham 80) – 6: Should have scored moments after coming on but was denied by Livakovic. Marc Guéhi (for Stones 87) – 6: A late introduction when the game was already won.
Croatia (3-4-2-1)
Dominik Livakovic – 9: Off his line too early for the penalty but made some unbelievable stops to keep a rampant England at bay.
Josip Sutalo – 5: Didn’t know whether to track Kane when he dropped deep and was caught out on more than one occasion.
Luka Vuskovic – 7: The teenager lost sight of Kane for England’s second goal but Tottenham have a real prospect on their hands.
Josko Gvardiol – 6: The Manchester City defender had his hands full with Madueke.
Josip Stanisic – 7: A lively presence down the right flank for Croatia and often got the better of O’Reilly.
Luka Modric – 7: A surprise to see him give away an early penalty for fouling Madueke, but still oozes class despite his advancing years.
Mario Pasalic – 6: A decent strike went just wide at the end of the first half, but he lost out in the midfield battle.
Ivan Perisic – 7: Such a clever header to set up the second equaliser. Has incredible energy for a 37-year-old.
Petar Sucic – 7: Brilliant assist for Baturina’s goal, missed a great chance late on after Pickford’s fumble.
Martin Baturina – 7: Took his goal brilliantly and the Como forward caused England problems with his direct approach.
Petar Musa – 7: The FC Dallas striker volleyed past Pickford with aplomb and was a real handful for England’s defenders.
Substitutes: Mateo Kovacic (for Modric 58) – 6: Couldn’t wrestle back control other than for a five-minute period. Marco Pasalic (for Vuskovic 66) – 6: Almost equalised not long after coming on but was denied by Pickford. Igor Matanovic (for Musa 66) – 6: Could do nothing about Rashford’s goal after Croatia were carved open. Nikola Vlasic (for Baturina 78) – 6: Tried to inject some urgency into Croatia’s attack in the final stages. Andrej Kramaric (for Mario Pasalic 79) – 7: A real handful when he came on for the last 10 minutes but couldn’t find the equaliser.
