2026 FIFA World Cup — Group L, Matchday 1 | June 18 | AT&T Stadium, Dallas
DALLAS — July 11, 2018. Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow.
England led Croatia 1-0. Twenty-two minutes from the World Cup final. Then Ivan Perišić equalised. Then Mario Mandžukić scored in extra time. The Three Lions’ dream died on a Moscow summer night.
Eight years later in Dallas, Thomas Tuchel’s England stood before the same Croatia. Luka Modrić was still there. Mateo Kovačić was still there. Zlatko Dalić was still on the touchline. But this time, England scored four.
4-2. A goal-fest. A reckoning.
First Half: Four Goals, Two Equalizers, Forty-Five Minutes of Madness
The 12th minute. Modrić brought down Noni Madueke in the box.
The referee pointed to the spot. Modrić — the 40-year-old Croatian legend — had made a rare error on the World Cup stage. He walked away, head down. No argument. He knew.
Harry Kane placed the ball on the spot. The lights of AT&T Stadium shone on his face. He breathed. He ran up. He struck it with his right foot. Dominik Livaković guessed correctly — but the ball was too fast.
1-0.
Kane ran to the corner flag, arms raised to the Texas sky. His first goal of this World Cup. England’s revenge mission had begun.
But Croatia had not come to Dallas to be a footnote.
The 36th minute. Martin Baturina collected the ball outside the box. England’s defensive line had dropped too deep — the one thing Tuchel’s high-press system cannot afford. Baturina looked up, then struck. The ball arced towards the far corner. Jordan Pickford flew across his goal, fingertips brushing the ball — but not enough.
1-1.
The Croatian bench erupted. Modrić ran to embrace Baturina. The 24-year-old Dinamo Zagreb midfielder had scored his first World Cup goal. A thunderbolt. A goal that silenced Dallas.
But Kane was not finished.
The 42nd minute. England corner. The ball floated into the centre of the box. Kane rose above everyone — he jumped higher than any man in the stadium. His forehead met the ball dead centre. Livaković had no chance.
2-1.
Kane’s second. England ahead again. Tuchel punched the air on the touchline. But the story was not over.
First-half stoppage time, the 45+5th minute. Croatia attacked again. Petar Musa collected the ball in the box, struck it low with his right foot. The ball threaded through bodies, through Pickford’s fingertips, into the far corner.
2-2.
Half-time. Four goals. Two leads surrendered. The Dallas crowd could barely breathe. This was not a football match — this was a heavyweight boxing bout. You hit me, I hit you. First one to fall loses.
Bellingham: Silencing the Boos
Before the second half began, Jude Bellingham heard boos.
Why? Perhaps because he plays for Real Madrid. Perhaps because of something he said before the match. Perhaps simply because he is Jude Bellingham — the superstar of his generation, always accompanied by love and hate in equal measure. The boos lasted 90 seconds.
The 47th minute. The second half had barely begun. Bellingham collected the ball on the right. Two Croatian defenders stood before him. He accelerated. He shifted. He cut inside — and struck low towards the far corner.
The ball skimmed across the grass and into the net.
3-2.
Bellingham ran to the touchline, finger to his lips. The boos vanished. In their place, the roar of England’s supporters. He is 22 years old. On this night, in this stadium, he was the master of Dallas.
His first World Cup goal. Not his last.
Rashford: The Killer Blow
The 85th minute. Croatia’s players could barely move. Modrić stood with his hands on his knees, gasping for air. A 40-year-old body, burning out in the Dallas heat.
Bukayo Saka collected the ball on the right, laid it off to Marcus Rashford. Rashford shifted past his marker and struck low into the far corner.
4-2.
Game over. Rashford sprinted to the bench. Tuchel grabbed him. England’s depth — this was the gulf between the two sides. When Modrić’s legs had turned to lead, Rashford had just entered the pitch, full of explosion.
Modrić: Twilight of a Legend
The final whistle. Modrić stood at the centre circle, hands on his hips, staring at the Dallas night sky.
Forty years old. This may be his last World Cup. In 2018, he dragged Croatia to the final and won the Golden Ball. In 2022, he led them to third place. He is one of the greatest midfielders of this era — perhaps the greatest.
But tonight, he made a mistake. The 12th-minute penalty was his. The 47th-minute Bellingham goal was one he could not chase down. Time spares no one. Not even Luka Modrić.
He walked towards the tunnel. England’s fans rose to applaud. Not mockery — respect. They knew what they were watching. The twilight of a legend.
Group L Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 |
| 2 | Ghana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Panama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Croatia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 0 |
England face the winner of Ghana vs Panama next. Croatia’s path to the knockout stage is already precarious — they must take maximum points from their remaining two matches, and the biggest unknown is how long Modrić’s legs can carry them.
Match Details:
- England 4-2 Croatia
- Venue: AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas
- Goals: Kane 12′ (pen), 42′ (ENG); Baturina 36′, Musa 45+5′ (CRO); Bellingham 47′, Rashford 85′ (ENG)
- Man of the Match: Harry Kane (England)
