On June 18, England secured a 4-2 victory against Croatia in their opening match of the North America World Cup group stage at Dallas Stadium in Texas.
The match began with a penalty awarded to England in the 9th minute after Declan Rice's corner kick led to a foul by Luka Modric on Noni Madueke in the penalty area. The referee immediately called for a penalty kick.
Harry Kane stepped up to take the penalty but saw his initial shot saved by Croatia's goalkeeper Dominik Livaković after a brief pause to disrupt the keeper's timing. However, following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the referee determined that Livaković had stepped off the goal line, allowing Kane to retake the penalty.
In the 12th minute, Kane converted the second penalty to give England the lead.
Croatia responded in the 36th minute when Martin Baturina found the net, leveling the score. Kane then scored again with a header in the 42nd minute, putting England ahead 2-1, but Croatia equalized in stoppage time.
With the score tied at 2-2, England regained momentum early in the second half when Jude Bellingham scored in the 47th minute.
Substitute Marcus Rashford added a fourth goal for England in the 85th minute with a right-footed shot from the center of the penalty area.
Kane's performance marked a significant milestone, as he became the second England player to score in three consecutive World Cups, following David Beckham.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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