Kane hits double as England launch World Cup with 4–2 win over Croatia

Kane double sinks Croatia 4–2 in World Cup opener

Harry Kane scored twice as England beat Croatia 4–2 in Dallas on Thursday (1) (2) (3) (6) (9) (11) (12) (13) (15). That is ten World Cup goals for your captain, drawing him level with Gary Lineker as England's all-time top scorer at the tournament (1). Kane praised Tuchel afterwards: "Hulde aan hem, hij hield een speech", credit to him, he gave a speech (12).

It was a six-goal spectacle, and the kind of England performance fans have been waiting for. "This was an England we haven't seen for years," the BBC wrote, "and it was fun" (10). Kicker called it a game England turned after Tuchel's halftime words (16).

Tuchel fuming at photographers during the anthem

Not everything went smoothly. Thomas Tuchel was furious that photographers blocked his view during the national anthem and has asked FIFA to change their positioning (4) (13). "Ich bitte die FIFA inständig, die Position der Fotografen während der Nationalhymne zu ändern," Tuchel said, adding the incident "spoiled the experience a little" (4) (13).

Kane: this is our best shot at the World Cup

Kane did not hold back after the match. "This is one of the best opportunities we will have as a team to win the World Cup," he said (5). England entered the tournament rated behind only Spain and France by Opta's supercomputer, and an opening win against Croatia backs that up.

Bellingham welcomes the noise

Jude Bellingham believes the external criticism may work in his favour. He said having a "chip on his shoulder" could help him find his best form during this tournament (7). Bellingham is competing with Morgan Rogers for the number ten role, and his mindset will matter as the stakes rise.

Ghana keep pace in Group L

Ghana beat Panama 1–0 with a late goal from Caleb Yirenkyi (14). They sit level with England on three points at the top of Group L.

Fan reactions

The mood online is pure euphoria. Gary Lineker's reaction to Kane tying his record lit up r/soccer, and Bayern Munich fans are already talking up Kane's Ballon d'Or chances. A clip of the squad watching fans belt out Oasis in Dallas has done the rounds too. There is also talk of England's unused players getting a training game against MLS side Sporting KC, a nice nod to the host city.