Thomas Tuchel's Debut: England Defeat Croatia in World Cup 2026 Opener

The England national team began their first official match under new head coach Thomas Tuchel with a victory. In the opening game of the World Cup 2026 group stage against Croatia, the "Three Lions" triumphed 4-2, proving they are one of the main favorites of the tournament. However, this win was not easy for the English, and problems in the team's defensive line did not escape the attention of experts. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

The first half of the match was full of unexpected events. Although Harry Kane opened the scoring from a penalty, Croatia responded quickly. According to Goal.com, Thomas Tuchel's decision to start John Stones and Ezri Konsa instead of Marc Guehi did not pay off. It was precisely due to a mistake by Stones that Martin Baturina managed to equalize. Although Harry Kane completed a brace following a corner, Petar Musa restored the balance again before the break.

Tuchel's halftime "magic" and the second half

What Thomas Tuchel told the players in the dressing room during the break remains a secret for now. While the coach himself simply said he asked them to "play with courage," the changes on the pitch suggest a more serious conversation took place. In the second half, England began to act with completely different enthusiasm and took control of the game.

Jude Bellingham showcased his skill at the start of the second half, putting his team ahead again. Despite the opposition of the rival defender, the Real Madrid star placed the ball accurately into the corner of the goal. After that, Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved his team from inevitable goals with a series of difficult saves, but he too could not stop the next English attack at the end of the game.

The duo of Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, coming off the bench, put the final touch to the match. Following a pass from Saka, Rashford scored the fourth goal in the 85th minute, crowning Tuchel's debut with a win. Nevertheless, experts are criticizing the disorder in England's defense and the difficulties in controlling the game while Declan Rice was injured.

This victory is of strategic importance for England, but it became clear that Tuchel still has much work to do on the road to the championship. While the team's attacking potential is high, the gaps in defense could prove costly in matches against stronger opponents. Over the next five weeks, the English will try to resolve these issues.