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Harry Kane propelled England to an almost flawless start in their Group L opener against Croatia this evening.

The England captain fired his side into a 1-0 lead at the 2026 World Cup, despite seeing his first effort denied.

Kane’s opening penalty was stopped by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic after what appeared to be an unusually subdued strike from the English forward.

The Bayern Munich striker, known for his precision from the spot, has converted all but one of his penalty attempts for the German champions since joining them in 2023.

His only miss came after Bayern Munich had already secured the Bundesliga title — a match in which an opposing defender had tampered with the penalty spot before his attempt.

Converting a penalty at the second time of asking is much tougher than it seems. Against Wolfsburg earlier in May, Kane missed a 36th-minute penalty by sending it over the bar.

In tonight’s clash with Croatia, his initial miss set up an even greater psychological challenge — one that many underestimate. The striker’s composure and technical perfection turned that pressure into execution of the highest order.

Data shows that a penalty kick is typically valued at around 0.79xG — a prime scoring chance — but that probability tends to fall when the same player takes a second penalty in the same game.

This decline is largely attributed to the mind games between striker and goalkeeper. Whether the first attempt results in a goal or a miss, the keeper gains crucial insight into the taker’s style and tendencies — knowledge he didn’t have before.

For Kane, that added tension translated into raw power. His second strike was hit with such force that it became nearly impossible to stop.

According to data from the Connected Ball Technology within the TRIONDA Official Match Ball, Kane’s second penalty reached an astounding speed of 121.9 km/h — a figure that underlines the sheer precision and velocity of his execution.

Later in the match, the England skipper struck again — this time with a well-timed header — restoring England’s advantage after Croatia had equalised.

The Three Lions conceded once more before Jude Bellingham calmed nerves early in the second half, and Marcus Rashford capped off the victory with a late goal.

England ultimately triumphed in their Group L opener, with Kane’s stunning display — both in power and mental resilience — setting the tone for what could be a memorable World Cup campaign.