Jude Bellingham’s 47th-minute strike turned a wild England-Croatia opener into a statement, as Thomas Tuchel’s side won 4-2 at AT&T Stadium and left Croatia punished for errors they could not survive.
Kane punishes Croatia from the spot
Croatia had started with control and a high press, but the match tilted after Luka Modrić was late to clear following a corner and caught Madueke. Clement Turpin pointed to the spot; Dominik Livaković saved Harry Kane’s first attempt, only for the penalty to be retaken because the goalkeeper was not on his line, and Kane converted in the 12th minute.
Croatia responded through the players carrying part of their future. Petar Sučić found Martin Baturina, who struck from the edge of the area into the far corner for 1-1 in the 36th minute, before another corner exposed Croatia again: Kane was left free and made it 2-1 in the 42nd.
Baturina and Musa drag Croatia back
The first half still had one more Croatian surge. In stoppage time, a move involving Pašalić and Perišić ended with Petar Musa finishing for 2-2, a scoreline that reflected both Croatia’s resilience and the chaos of their defending.
