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England began their 2026 World Cup campaign in Dallas with a 4-2 victory over Croatia — though they certainly gave their supporters a few heart-stopping moments along the way.

It was a true rollercoaster of a match. In fact, only the nearby 'Six Flags Over Texas' amusement park, home to the Rampaging Run ride, might have been able to match the highs and lows of England’s display. The game was a mix of exhilarating attacking football and defensive uncertainty in equal measure.

Harry Kane, a long-time admirer of American football, would have relished scoring at the iconic home of the Dallas Cowboys. The England skipper struck twice — both from set-pieces — taking his international tally to 81 goals in 115 appearances. At 32, he now looks well on course to reach the century mark.

Yet even Kane’s brace was overshadowed by a commanding performance from Jude Bellingham. Any lingering doubts over his team ethic were dispelled as he turned in a complete display. Bellingham made two crucial sliding tackles and scored a goal of real brilliance, prompting Luka Modric to cross over and congratulate his former Real Madrid teammate. The Dallas DJ even played “Hey Jude” in tribute.

Marcus Rashford, fresh from his stint at Barcelona, added the fourth goal after coming on for Anthony Gordon, highlighting England’s wealth of attacking depth. Still, those wearing the Three Lions crest had their fans on edge throughout.

England’s first-half defensive frailty was uncharacteristic. They conceded as many goals in the opening 45 minutes as they had in their previous 21 competitive matches combined. Jordan Pickford, who had kept eight clean sheets in the qualifiers, looked unusually uneasy before the interval. The absence of Marc Guehi’s composure was noticeable, and manager Thomas Tuchel may need to consider reinstating the centre-back, widely regarded as England’s most reliable defender in recent years.

Despite the shaky defending, England’s attacking play was a joy to watch. Croatia quickly dropped into a deep 5-4-1 shape, inviting pressure. Pickford repeatedly launched left-footed diagonals to Noni Madueke, whose searing pace caused constant problems down Croatia’s left side. Josko Gvardiol and Ivan Perisic were forced to double up on him, but Madueke’s fearless approach embodied England’s attacking intent.

It was Madueke who earned England’s first penalty when Modric, unaware of the winger’s run, mistimed his clearance and caught him instead. The foul was clear-cut. Ironically, Arsenal fans had once signed a petition — with 5,221 signatures — urging their club not to buy the then-Chelsea player. Kane stepped up to take the spot-kick, with the captain emphasising beforehand the need for mental resilience amid the pressure of playing in front of a heavily England-backed crowd of 70,389.

After 12 minutes, Kane’s initial attempt was uncharacteristically poor, his stuttered run-up allowing Dominik Livakovic to save. The Croatian press box briefly applauded before referee Clement Turpin ordered a retake, as Livakovic had moved off his line. Given a reprieve, Kane went the same way on his second attempt — to Livakovic’s left — but this time with a clean strike that bulged the net. England supporters responded with chants about heading to New York for the final.

The mood shifted after the unpopular hydration break, which began to boos and ended with chants of frustration from England fans. Their concerns were justified when Croatia equalised soon after. Bellingham lost the ball, Petar Sucic outfoxed John Stones with a feint, and the move ended with Martin Baturina curling a finish from the edge of the area beyond Pickford.

England soon regained their lead, again through Kane and once more from a set-piece. Bizarrely unmarked on the edge of the area, Kane met Declan Rice’s curling corner with a precise header between Luka Vuskovic and Petar Musa. It was his 81st goal in 115 games — drawing level with Gary Lineker’s record of 10 goals at World Cup finals.

As half-time approached, England’s defence continued to look shaky. They were slow to close down attackers, and Croatia capitalised. Mario Pasalic floated a cross that Perisic headed back across goal to Musar — a player for local MLS side Dallas — who reacted fastest to guide the ball past Pickford, leaving England’s goalkeeper exposed once again.

Tuchel hurried down the tunnel at the break with plenty to address. Just two minutes after the restart, Bellingham came to his rescue. Elliot Anderson released him down the inside-right channel with a perfectly timed pass, while Madueke’s intelligent decoy run drew defenders away. Bellingham surged into space, held off Pasalic, and slotted calmly across Livakovic. It wasn’t the cleanest strike, but it was effective — restoring England’s advantage.

Seeking to inject fresh energy, Tuchel made a triple substitution after 70 minutes — introducing Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers for Gordon, Madueke and Rice. Bellingham dropped deeper alongside Anderson while Rogers supported Kane up front. The changes paid off as Rashford sealed the win, cutting inside Josip Stanisic and curling a composed finish past Livakovic. The England rollercoaster finally came to rest, leaving fans relieved and jubilant in equal measure.