England 1-0 Croatia LIVE Score, FIFA World Cup 2026: Bellingham Pushed Off From Ball

England look dangerous! Jude Bellingham picks up the ball and surges forward, driving deep into the Croatian penalty area with characteristic pace. The Three Lions were short on support in the final third, however, and the Croatian defense swarmed him effectively, muscling the midfielder off the ball just as he looked to unleash a strike. A promising attacking move is ultimately thwarted by a resilient Croatian backline.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL! Harry Kane makes no mistake this time!

Learning from his earlier stuttering effort, the England captain steps up with renewed focus and emphatically smashes the ball into the bottom right corner. Dominik Livakovic, who guessed correctly the first time, dives the wrong way on this occasion, leaving him helpless as the ball ripples the net.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again—and Kane has done exactly that, giving England a precious 1–0 lead in this high-stakes World Cup opener. The Three Lions have their breakthrough!

PENALTY SAVED, BUT A RETAKE IS ORDERED! Harry Kane’s stuttering effort from the spot is denied by Dominik Livakovic, who dives to his left to make the save. But hold on—the referee is signaling for a retake! Josko Gvardiol was spotted encroaching in the penalty area before the kick was taken, handing England a second life from 12 yards out.

The chaos unfolded after a spell of pressure from England. Reece James whipped in a dangerous cross that was headed into the air by Vuskovic, allowing Harry Kane to bring it down, spin, and fire a shot that was deflected behind for a corner.

From the ensuing outswinger taken by Declan Rice, Noni Madueke went down under pressure from Luka Modric. It looked like the Croatian captain caught the Arsenal man in the midriff while attempting a clearance, and the referee didn't hesitate to point to the spot. What a whirlwind start for the Three Lions!

The wait is finally over! Referee Clement Turpin has blown his whistle at the Dallas Stadium, signaling the start of this highly anticipated Group L clash between England and Croatia.

Both sides are looking to make a statement in their 2026 World Cup opener. England, under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, has fielded a vibrant starting XI featuring Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, while Croatia—led by the evergreen Luka Modrić in his fifth World Cup—brings a wealth of tournament experience to the pitch in Arlington. Stay tuned for live updates as this heavyweight European battle unfolds.

Dominik Livakovic; Josko Gvardiol, Luka Vuskovic, Josip Sutalo; Ivan Perisic, Petar Sucic, Luka Modric, Josip Stanisic; Martin Baturina, Mario Pasalic, Petar Musa

CROATIA SUBSTITUTES: Marin Pongracic, Duje Caleta-Car, Nikola Moro, Mateo Kovacic, Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Ivor Pandur, Nikola Vlasic, Kristijan Jakic, Toni Fruk, Igor Matanovic, Luka Sucic, Dominik Kotarski, Marco Pasalic, Martin Erlic

Jordan Pickford; Nico O'Reilly, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Reece James; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Noni Madueke; Harry Kane

ENGLAND SUBSTITUTES: Marc Guehi, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Dean Henderson, Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney, James Trafford, Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah

Total Matches: 11

England Won: 6

Croatia Won: 3

Draws: 2

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be telecast live on Unite8 Sports network on television. For live streaming, one can catch the action on the Zee5 app and website.

Match Details: England vs Croatia

Location: Arlington, Texas, USA

Stadium: Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium)

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Kick-off Time: 01:30 AM (IST) on Thursday, June 18, 2026

Greetings, we are back with our FIFA World Cup 2026 live blog England and Croatia face-off in the Group F first match. The action is about to begin, so stay tuned for all the live updates from Dallas Stadium.