Croatia was defeated 4-2 by England in their Group L World Cup opener on June 14, 2026, at Dallas Stadium [1, 2, 3, 4]. England's Harry Kane scored twice in the first half, including a penalty won after a foul by Luka Modric and a goal from a corner where Kane was unmarked [5, 2, 4]. Kane entered the tournament having scored 61 goals in 51 matches in the 2026 season [5, 6].
Croatia rallied to level the score at 2-2 by halftime thanks to goals from Petar Musa and Martin Baturina [1, 3]. However, England regained the lead shortly after the break when Jude Bellingham scored to make it 3-2 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Later in the second half, England added a fourth goal to seal the victory [1, 2, 3, 4].
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic sharply criticized his team's defending on set pieces, calling it the worst he has seen during his tenure. He pointed out that England scored three goals from set plays despite extensive preparation [2, 4]. Dalic noted that two of England's goals came from corners and said about 40% of England’s goals come from set pieces [1, 3]. He highlighted the challenge posed by England’s top striker, saying, "They have the best striker in the world, they have Kane and Kane can do a hell of a lot." [5]
Before the match, Dalic had warned of Kane’s scoring threat and emphasized the need to prepare carefully for England’s set pieces [5, 6]. After the defeat, he said, "Never in my tenure have we defended set pieces this poorly," adding, "We do not have the right to any more mistakes. We must correct it and must avoid similar mistakes in the future." [1, 2]
Dalic also dismissed as not responsible for the loss the team’s change in defensive setup from four to three at the back [2, 4]. Despite the setback, he acknowledged Croatia’s high expectations following strong performances in the last two World Cups and stressed the focus remains on progressing from the group stage [5, 6].
Croatia’s next Group L match is against Panama on June 20 in Toronto, with a further match against Ghana to follow [2, 4, 1, 3].
