Man City World Cup 2026 Watch: Six Etihad Stadium stars clash in England vs Croatia

Man City World Cup 2026 Watch: Six Etihad Stadium stars clash in England vs Croatia Manchester City’s English contingent came out on top over their Croatian opponents on Wednesday night, emerging victorious in an eventful 4-2 win in Texas. Thomas Tuchel inaugurated his World Cup chapter with an exhilarating, high-scoring 4-2 triumph as England withstood a fierce Croatia fightback at Dallas Stadium , flashing attacking firepower balanced by defensive vulnerability to lay a chaotic yet successful foundation for their Group L campaign. The breakthrough materialised after 12 minutes when Harry Kane buried a twice-taken penalty – awarded for a foul on Noni Madueke – after a VAR review penalised goalkeeper Dominik Livaković for encroachment on the initial save. While an audacious, 120 km/h equaliser from Croatia’s Martin Baturina stunned Jordan Pickford , Kane restored the lead with a far-post header from a Declan Rice corner, lifting his international tally to 81 goals and pulling level with Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals. However, defensive instability continued to plague the English backline, allowing Petar Musa to slip through the offside trap and poke home Ivan Perišić’s intelligent header with the final kick of the first-half. The tactical balance was shattered immediately after the interval by Jude Bellingham , who justified his inclusion over Morgan Rogers by driving directly through the Croatian midfield to smash home a spectacular solo effort. England would ultimately consolidate their grip on proceedings through a sequence of smart defensive substitutions; Marcus Rashford wrapped up three points five minutes from time, calmly slotting past Livaković from a clever Bukayo Saka pass to set up a crucial matchup against Ghana in Boston. Marc Guehi match statistics vs Croatia 3 Minutes 7 Touches 7 Accurate Passes 100% Pass Accuracy 1 Recovery 1 Accurate Long Ball John Stones match statistics vs Croatia 87 Minutes 71 Touches 62 Accurate Passes 95% Pass Accuracy 5 Recoveries 2 Aerial Duels Won 2 Ground Duels Won 2 Accurate Long Balls 2 Passes Into Final Third 1 Tackle 1 Clearance 1 Was Fouled 1 Headed Clearance Nico O’Reilly match statistics vs Croatia 90 Minutes 63 Touches 36 Accurate Passes 84% Pass Accuracy 3 Ground Duels Won 3 Passes Into Final Third 3 Touches In Opposition Box 2 Chances Created 2 Successful Dribbles (Most) 1 Recovery 1 Clearance 1 Was Fouled 1 Shot On Target 1 Aerial Duel Won 1 Big Chance Missed 1 Accurate Long Ball Josko Gvardiol match statistics vs England 90 Minutes 58 Touches 43 Accurate Passes 91% Pass Accuracy 4 Recoveries 4 Passes Into Final Third 1 Tackle 1 Clearance 1 Aerial Duel Won 1 Ground Duel Won 1 Headed Clearance 1 Big Chance Missed 1 Accurate Long Ball 1 Touch In Opposition Box Mateo Kovacic match statistics vs England 32 Minutes 37 Touches 29 Accurate Passes 97% Pass Accuracy 4 Passes Into Final Third 3 Ground Duels Won 2 Was Fouled 1 Tackle 1 Recovery 1 Interception 1 Shot On Target 1 Accurate Long Ball James Trafford remain unused from the bench for England . Data courtesy of FotMob.