England and Croatia draw 2-2 at half-time as Harry Kane scores twice in World Cup opener

Harry Kane has done this before. The England captain opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two goals in the first half against Croatia. The problem: Croatia has matched him punch for punch, and the teams went into the break level at 2-2.

The Group L match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining openers of the tournament.

A first half that refused to settle down

Kane got England on the board early, converting a penalty in the 12th minute to give Thomas Tuchel’s side the lead. Then Martin Baturina equalized in the 36th minute to drag his side back into the contest.

Kane responded almost immediately. In the 42nd minute, he rose to meet a cross with a powerful header, restoring England’s advantage.

Croatia had other ideas. Petar Musa found the net deep into first-half stoppage time, scoring in the 45th minute plus five to make it 2-2 heading into the tunnel.

Kane’s tournament pedigree

Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and he has consistently been England’s most reliable source of goals when the pressure is highest. The penalty was clinical, the header was vintage Kane.

Playing alongside Jude Bellingham in Tuchel’s setup gives England a different dimension than they had under previous managers.

Croatia’s resilience is nothing new

Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and the 2022 semifinal. Their ability to equalize twice in this first half fits a familiar pattern of refusing to go quietly.

England defeated Croatia 2-1 during the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the teams met again later that year in the Nations League, where England secured another 2-1 victory with a late goal from Harry Kane. This 2026 rematch is their first World Cup face-off since then.

Musa’s stoppage-time equalizer was arguably the most important moment of the half. Goals scored in added time have an outsized psychological impact, and Croatia will feel they have all the momentum heading into the second 45 minutes.

What to watch in the second half

Tuchel’s side entered the tournament as one of the favorites in the expanded 48-team format, which has increased from 32 teams and is hosted across the United States and Canada. England need to find a way to maintain their attacking output while tightening up at the back, having conceded two goals in the first half of their opening match.

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