Published on 6/18/2026
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Last update: 07:37 (Mecca time)
A convincing start for the England national team in the 2026 World Cup, after it defeated its Croatian counterpart 4-2 and avenged its exit from the 2018 World Cup semi-finals in Russia.
The match, which witnessed the scoring of 6 goals, was filled with significant numbers, both in relation to its course, and in relation to the general historical context.
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The England national team achieved its first victory in its opening match in three consecutive World Cup tournaments for the first time ever, and this is its seventeenth participation in the finals.
Croatia has lost in its opening match in 4 of its last 6 FIFA World Cup appearances (winning one and drawing another). Since 2002, this is the highest number of defeats in the first round of the finals for any team (Australia also has four defeats).
This is only the eighth match in World Cup history in which both teams have scored two goals before half-time, and only the second in the 21st century, after the Serbia-Switzerland match in 2022, and it was only the second of those eight matches in which England participated (also against Argentina in 1998).
Kane’s exceptional numbers
Harry Kane became the second English player to score in three different editions of the World Cup (2018, 2022, 2026), alongside David Beckham (1998, 2002, 2006). He also equaled Gary Lineker’s record of scoring 10 goals in the finals, which is the highest number among all England players.
England’s Harry Kane also scored more penalty kicks than any other player in World Cup history (5).
By scoring only his second international goal with the senior national team, Martin Baturina became the third youngest scorer for Croatia in the FIFA World Cup (23 years and 121 days), after Josko Gvardiol in 2022 against Morocco (20 years and 328 days) and Ivica Olic in 2002 against Italy (22 years and 267 days).
Jude Bellingham, the England national team player, became the youngest European player in history to participate in 4 different major tournaments (the European Championship and the World Cup), at the age of 22 years and 353 days, as 57% of his goals with the England national team came in major tournaments (4 out of 7), which is the highest percentage among all players who scored 5 goals or more with the Three Lions national team.
England’s 4th goal is only the second in a World Cup scored and assisted by two substitute players (Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka) alongside Jack Grealish’s goal against Iran in 2022, which was created by Callum Wilson.
Luka Modric has become the second European player to participate in 10 different major tournaments (the European Championships and the World Cup), along with Cristiano Ronaldo (12 tournaments). He has participated in all the World Cups and the European Nations Championships except one since 2006, when Croatia failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
