England
CroatiaFour goals in the first half made for genuine theatre, and the 2-2 scoreline at the break flattered Croatia while hinting at a tighter match than eventually transpired. England's superior depth and physical intensity told entirely in the second half: Bellingham's immediate strike after the interval felt like a door slamming, and Rashford's late conversion confirmed that England carry more sustained quality into the final minutes than Croatia can currently match. The match was entertaining throughout and ultimately told the truth.
England
England were thrilling and flawed in equal measure — exactly the kind of opening match that feeds years of debate. Harry Kane struck twice: a composed penalty after twelve minutes and a clinical second before half-time that equalled Gary Lineker's England World Cup record of ten goals. Jude Bellingham restored the lead forty-seven seconds into the second half with the kind of immediate, decisive moment that makes a tournament feel like his personal stage. Marcus Rashford sealed it from the bench in the 85th. The four goals only half-disguised a defence that conceded twice in forty-five minutes, and Thomas Tuchel's team remain capable of matching anyone's attack while liable to alarm their own supporters at the back.
Croatia
Croatia arrived in Dallas with their customary mix of craft and the uncertainty of a generation in transition, and they showed both. Martin Baturina's right-footed finish and Petar Musa's neat slot in first-half stoppage time kept them in contention — 2-2 at the break was not implausible — but the inability to contain England's double pivot ultimately cost them. Modrić and Kovačić found it hard to impose themselves against Rice and Anderson, and the second half became one-way traffic. Croatia still produce individual moments of quality; they increasingly struggle to sustain a defensive shape against high-energy, physically dominant opponents.