MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group L · Wednesday, June 17 · Dallas Stadium, Dallas · 70,389 in the stands

kickoff 15:00 local · 33°C · 58% humidity · roofed stadium

England

12′ Harry KANE

42′ Harry KANE (pen)

47′ Jude BELLINGHAM (pen)

85′ Marcus RASHFORD (pen)

4:2

Croatia

36′ Martin BATURINA (pen)

45+5′ Petar MUSA (pen)

tap a player for their match file

England4-2-3-1
Croatia3-4-2-1
Jordan PICKFORD6.7Ezri KONSA6.3Nico OREILLY6.5John STONES6.2Reece JAMES6.5Declan RICE8.0Elliot ANDERSON7.9Jude BELLINGHAM8.0Harry KANE8.8Anthony GORDON6.5Noni MADUEKE7.7Dominik LIVAKOVIC5.6Josip STANISIC6.4Josko GVARDIOL5.4Josip SUTALO6.2Luka VUSKOVIC6.2Luka MODRIC5.5Mario PASALIC6.0Martin BATURINA7.9Petar SUCIC6.7Ivan PERISIC7.4Petar MUSA7.3
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′ENGCRO

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 12′Kane0.79 xG
  • 36′Baturina0.04 xG
  • 42′Kane0.04 xG
  • 45+5′Musa0.14 xG
  • 47′Bellingham0.10 xG
  • 85′Rashford0.06 xG
ENG 0:0 CRO0'kickoff
3' Šutalo — xG 0.17 · Missed8' Kane — xG 0.04 · Blocked9' Konsa — xG 0.03 · Missed12' Kane — xG 0.79 · Goal16' Madueke — xG 0.08 · Blocked16' Anderson — xG 0.04 · Blocked31' Bellingham — xG 0.26 · Missed35' Kane — xG 0.06 · Missed36' Baturina — xG 0.04 · Goal42' Kane — xG 0.04 · Goal45 + 1' James — xG 0.04 · Blocked47' Bellingham — xG 0.10 · Goal48' Bellingham — xG 0.13 · Saved45 + 4' Pasalic — xG 0.02 · Missed49' O'Reilly — xG 0.13 · Missed45 + 5' Musa — xG 0.14 · Goal52' Rice — xG 0.04 · Saved56' O'Reilly — xG 0.05 · Saved56' Gordon — xG 0.24 · Saved56' Konsa — xG 0.60 · Saved57' Kane — xG 0.02 · Saved57' Kane — xG 0.03 · Missed69' Gordon — xG 0.03 · Blocked76' Pasalic — xG 0.06 · Saved77' Matanovic — xG 0.01 · Saved81' Sučić — xG 0.01 · Missed82' Spence — xG 0.54 · Saved84' Kovacic — xG 0.04 · Saved85' Rashford — xG 0.06 · Goal90 + 4' Kramaric — xG 0.01 · Blocked90 + 5' Gvardiol — xG 0.20 · Blocked90 + 6' Kane — xG 0.04 · Missed

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

ENG 0:0 CRO
1.02.03.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′12' Kane — GOAL36' Baturina — GOAL42' Kane — GOAL47' Bellingham — GOAL45 + 5' Musa — GOAL85' Rashford — GOAL3.390.70

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

ENG 4-2-3-1 attack →, ← CRO 3-4-2-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1Jordan PICKFORDJordan PICKFORD2Ezri KONSAEzri KONSA3Nico OREILLYNico OREILLY5John STONESJohn STONES24Reece JAMESReece JAMES4Declan RICEDeclan RICE8Elliot ANDERSONElliot ANDERSON10Jude BELLINGHAMJude BELLINGHAM9Harry KANEHarry KANE18Anthony GORDONAnthony GORDON20Noni MADUEKENoni MADUEKE1Dominik LIVAKOVICDominik LIVAKOVIC2Josip STANISICJosip STANISIC4Josko GVARDIOLJosko GVARDIOL6Josip SUTALOJosip SUTALO22Luka VUSKOVICLuka VUSKOVIC10Luka MODRICLuka MODRIC15Mario PASALICMario PASALIC16Martin BATURINAMartin BATURINA17Petar SUCICPetar SUCIC14Ivan PERISICIvan PERISIC26Petar MUSAPetar MUSA

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

49%
Possession
44%
3.33
Expected goals
0.82
47
Threat
53
22
Shots
10
11
On target
5
421
Passes completed
399
36
Forced turnovers
35
18.0s
Ball recovery time
17.1s
10.44
High-press phases
13.24
12
Fouls committed
10
0
Offsides
1
117 km
Distance covered
114 km
35.2 km/h
Top speed
34.1 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. England attack →, ← Croatia attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 12′Penalty Awarded
  2. 12′Harry KANE (England) successfully converts the penalty!
  3. 36′Martin BATURINA (Croatia) scores!!
  4. 42′Harry KANE (England) scores!!
  5. 45+5′Petar MUSA (Croatia) scores!!
  6. 47′Jude BELLINGHAM (England) scores!!
  7. 58′Mateo KOVACIC (in) comes off the bench to replace Luka MODRIC (out) (Croatia)
  8. 66′Igor MATANOVIC (in) comes off the bench to replace Petar MUSA (out) (Croatia)
  9. 66′Marco PASALIC (in) comes off the bench to replace Luka VUSKOVIC (out) (Croatia)
  10. 72′Morgan ROGERS (in) comes off the bench to replace Declan RICE (out) (England)
  11. 72′Bukayo SAKA (in) comes off the bench to replace Noni MADUEKE (out) (England)
  12. 72′Marcus RASHFORD (in) comes off the bench to replace Anthony GORDON (out) (England)
  13. 78′Andrej KRAMARIC (in) comes off the bench to replace Mario PASALIC (out) (Croatia)
  14. 78′Nikola VLASIC (in) comes off the bench to replace Martin BATURINA (out) (Croatia)
  15. 79′Djed SPENCE (in) comes off the bench to replace Jude BELLINGHAM (out) (England)
  16. 85′Marcus RASHFORD (England) scores!!
  17. 87′Marc GUEHI (in) comes off the bench to replace John STONES (out) (England)

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Harry Kane and England's Efficiency Doomed Defiant Croatia

England dominated with Kane's 12th-minute clinical strike: the goal that set tone and shape. Bellingham and Rice stamped English tempo on play despite 49 per cent possession. Croatia's high-press intensity (13.2 phases) created threat, but England's 36 forced turnovers spoke to sides absorbing pressure and converting it to attacks. Croatia stole two scrappy goals from single-digit xG chances to create half-time parity. The 47th-minute English restart killed the momentum—a goal that signalled quality would tell.

The xG gulf was vast: 3.33 to 0.82, shots 22 to 10, on target 11 to five. Kane (8.8 rating) and Bellingham's relentless pressing cost Croatia. Yet England wasted two big chances rated 0.60 and 0.54 xG when the game remained competitive; a third at 0.26 went begging. That these misses didn't matter reflects England's depth—three more clear opportunities besides—chance creation that outlasted Croatian resilience despite marginally superior recovery time (17.1 to 18.0 seconds).

England's 3.33 xG yielded six goals while Croatia's 0.82 xG produced two—a chasm reflecting clinical precision against fortunate opportunism.

47′

England's third goal reasserted control after half-time, neutralising Croatia's parity and confirming tactical dominance.

What England needed

Superior pressing depth and clinical finishing overwhelmed Croatian grit.

  • 22 shots (11 on target) combined with Kane's 8.8 rating created constant threat.
  • 36 forced turnovers—matching Croatia's 35—powered relentless English attacks and tactical dominance.
  • Missed big chances (0.60, 0.54 xG) in crucial moments; sharper opponents exploit those gaps.

What Croatia needed

High-press intensity and scrappy finishing created parity but couldn't sustain it.

  • 13.2 high-press phases matched England's energy; 35 turnovers forced but only 10 shots attempted.
  • Scored twice from xG of 0.04 and 0.14 combined—lucky finishing that belied 10-shot total.
  • Ball recovery (17.1 seconds) marginally better than England's 18.0; fatigue undermined pressing at 47 minutes.