This wasn’t entirely pretty, but the end result is three points for England and a winning start to their World Cup 2026 campaign. In beating Croatia 4-2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Thomas Tuchel’s men navigated their way past arguably their most difficult Group L opponents and, in doing so, took a major step towards the knockout stages.
It was a strong second-half performance that got them over the line, as England tore Croatia apart to storm to what eventually looked a rather convincing victory. But it had not always appeared as though that would be the case. The defensive frailties England showed in the first half were alarming, and they will need to be addressed sharply if this team is to go deep into the tournament.
A Shaky Start That Exposed Familiar Frailties
That positive display after the break followed a shaky first period in which England lacked incisiveness with the ball, and their frailties without it were highlighted and exposed ruthlessly by experienced opponents.
The first half ended 2-2, but England had not played well. Croatia had largely kept them at arm’s length and were the more threatening side throughout. The back line looked uncertain, poorly organised at times, and vulnerable every time Croatia moved forward with purpose.
In a pattern reminiscent of much of Gareth Southgate’s reign, England relied heavily on dead balls to make any impression on the scoreboard. They were awarded a penalty early on when Luka Modrić fouled Noni Madueke in the box. Harry Kane converted it at the second attempt, after he had been ordered to retake one that he initially missed due to encroachment from Joško Gvardiol. Croatia hit back through Martin Baturina’s fine strike, and deservedly so.
England’s game plan was for Kane to drop away from the centre-forward position, with Madueke, Anthony Gordon and Jude Bellingham running beyond him. But Kane struggled to influence the game, and England repeatedly looked to go long out to the wings. The ball was overturned time and again. Gordon, in particular, was barely involved, registering just nine touches in the entire first half.
A Defence That Looked Alarmingly Exposed
The defensive numbers from the first half make for uncomfortable reading. England conceded as many goals in this single half as they had across the first halves of their previous 21 matches combined. That is not a typo. Two goals conceded in one opening 45 minutes equalled the entire first-half tally from more than 20 previous games. It was a damning reflection of how exposed the back line was.
Reece James had a particularly difficult evening on the right side. The right flank was tested repeatedly during a frantic first half, with Croatia identifying that area as one they could exploit. James was caught out of position on more than one occasion, and the Croatian pressure down his side contributed to the unsettled nature of England’s defensive shape throughout the opening period.
John Stones was the most composed of the central defenders, and his ability to read the game helped limit further damage. But even he could not fully disguise the fact that the unit as a whole lacked the kind of defensive solidity you would demand from a team with genuine World Cup ambitions. Ezri Konsa and the rest of the back line rode out the first-half chaos but were frequently stretched.
Jordan Pickford in goal was called into action more than any England supporter would have wanted. Two first-half concessions dragged his evening down, and while he was largely untroubled once England seized control after the break, the goals he did concede were the result of a defensive structure that too often left him exposed.
| England’s Defensive Record — First Half vs Croatia | Stat |
|---|---|
| Goals conceded in this first half | 2 |
| Goals conceded in first halves of previous 21 matches combined | 2 |
| Croatian goals from open play | 2 |
| Times England’s defensive shape was breached | Multiple |
The two Croatian goals were not lucky strikes or deflections. Baturina’s equaliser was a well-taken effort, and Musa’s goal on the stroke of half-time was the result of Croatia carving through a defence that simply did not do enough to stop them. England’s backline was made to look ordinary by opponents who, while experienced, should not have found it quite so straightforward.
What made the defensive display even more troubling was the contrast with what came after the interval. If the back line could be that much more composed in the second half, the question has to be asked: why was the first half so chaotic? The answer lies partly in England’s own attacking structure failing to protect them, with the midfield bypassed too often by aimless long balls that gave Croatia easy transitions. But the defenders themselves must also take responsibility for the lapses that led directly to two goals.
Set-Pieces to the Rescue, Again
England did keep winning set-pieces, and they regained the lead when Declan Rice’s corner found an unmarked Kane to head home from the penalty spot. It was a familiar sight.
| England’s World Cup Goals Since 2018 | Number |
|---|---|
| Total goals scored | 29 |
| Goals from dead balls (incl. penalties) | 14 |
| Goals from corners | 6 (most of any team in that span) |
That reliance on set-pieces has been a defining feature of England’s tournament football. Since the start of the 2018 World Cup, 14 of their 29 goals at the competition have come from dead balls. They have also scored twice as many goals from corners as any other nation over that period.
England were back in front and would not have minded one bit that it was another set-piece that got them there. However, they were pegged back yet again on the stroke of half-time when Petar Musa equalised to make it 2-2. It was a goal that summed up the defensive vulnerability of the entire first period.
The underlying numbers from the first half painted a stark picture of where England’s threat was actually coming from.
| England’s First-Half xG vs Croatia | Value |
|---|---|
| Total expected goals | 1.36 |
| xG from dead balls | 0.96 |
| xG from open play | 0.40 |
In other words, England were almost entirely reliant on set-pieces to generate meaningful goal threat in the first half. From open play, they were toothless, and their defence paid the price for a team structure that was simply not functioning as it should.
Tuchel’s Half-Time Message Changes Everything
Fortunately for England, they emerged for the second half transformed. Kane revealed afterwards that Tuchel had told the players at the break to go for broke, to throw men forward and not to fear losing the game. It worked almost instantly.
Bellingham raced away down the right to finish off a 23-pass open-play move with the second half less than two minutes old, putting England back in front. It was the kind of fluid, patient attacking move that had been entirely absent before the interval, and crucially, a more structured attacking approach also meant the defence was better protected.
The goal also extended a notable trend in Bellingham’s England career.
| Jude Bellingham’s England Goals | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total goals | 7 |
| Goals at major tournaments | 4 |
| Percentage at major tournaments | 57% |
That ratio of 57% is the highest of any player with five or more goals for England, underlining his ability to deliver on the biggest stage.
After Bellingham restored the lead, there was simply no way back for Croatia. And with England now controlling the game more effectively, the defensive unit finally began to find its footing. Croatia barely got anywhere near England’s goal for the rest of the match until the closing stages, when the game was already well beyond reach. The contrast with the first half was almost impossible to reconcile.
A Second-Half Display Worthy of Champions
England were relentless after the break. Their movement and passing were far more purposeful and efficient, and there was significantly less in the way of aimless punts forward from back to front that bypassed the entire midfield. The improved attacking structure had the added benefit of keeping Croatia pinned back, which in turn gave the back line a far quieter evening than the one they had experienced in the first half.
The result was a dominant performance and a remarkable shooting record.
| Most Shots on Target in a Second Half at World Cup 2026 | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | England | Croatia |
| 8 | Uruguay | Saudi Arabia |
| 8 | France | Senegal |
England’s nine second-half shots on target were more than any other team had managed in a single half at the tournament so far, and they achieved it against a high-quality Croatia side rather than weaker opposition.
Marcus Rashford came off the bench to put the result beyond doubt. His goal carried a particular significance, being only the second time in England’s World Cup history that a substitute scored and was assisted by another substitute, with Bukayo Saka providing the pass. The only previous instance was Jack Grealish’s goal against Iran in 2022. It was a clear demonstration of the depth available to this England squad.
The Contrast Between the Two Halves
The transformation in England’s performance across both ends of the pitch is best understood by comparing the two halves directly.
| Metric | First Half | Second Half |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 2 | 2 |
| Goals conceded | 2 | 0 |
| Defensive shape | Disorganised, frequently breached | Compact, composed |
| Style of play | Long, direct, overturned possession | Patient, purposeful build-up |
| Shots on target | Limited | 9 |
| Source of threat | Mostly dead balls | Open play |
| Midfield protection of defence | Poor | Significantly improved |
It was, as Kane put it afterwards, “a game of two halves.” The first half was a cautionary tale about what happens when England’s defensive structure breaks down. The second was a statement of intent about what this team is capable of when everything clicks.
Plenty to Build On, Plenty to Fix
Take nothing away from England. Scoring four goals in any World Cup match is a real achievement, and this result will give the squad a significant confidence boost with seven more games to play if they are to go all the way in the tournament.
But it will be equally important for England to acknowledge how exposed their defence looked throughout the first half. The concession of two first-half goals, equalling the entire first-half total from their previous 21 matches, is not a statistic that can simply be dismissed because the final scoreline looks comfortable. The defensive unit was stretched, disorganised and punished by a Croatia side that, while experienced, should not have found it that straightforward.
Tuchel’s side will come up against better teams than Croatia as the tournament progresses. The kind of defensive vulnerability shown in that opening period, with the back line repeatedly caught out and the midfield offering insufficient cover, could prove fatal against elite opposition. If Spain, Germany, Brazil or Argentina expose England in the same way Croatia did in the first half, the result may not be so easily overturned in the second.
The challenge now is one of consistency. To win the World Cup 2026, England will need to sustain the level of their second-half performance across full matches, not just from the break onwards. The attacking quality is clearly there. The defensive solidity needs to match it.
If they can find that balance, there is every reason to believe they can go all the way. Right now, though, the back line has a great deal of work to do.
