Bellingham nets and dominates as England demolish Croatia 4-2 in World Cup opener

Jude Bellingham silenced any lingering debate about his place in England’s starting XI with a commanding display as the Three Lions defeated Croatia 4-2 in Dallas to open their 2026 World Cup campaign.

The 22-year-old scored in the 47th minute — a ruthless finish that pinged in off the post — becoming the first England player to net in the opening fixture of two successive World Cups. It was the kind of clinical strike Thomas Tuchel had in mind when he recently suggested Bellingham could operate as a striker.

But the goal was only part of the story. Bellingham’s energy, pressing, ball-carrying and sheer desire to impose himself on the match made this a statement performance. When Croatia’s Petar Musa equalised just before half-time, it was Bellingham who seized the moment, dragging England back in front and effectively taking the game away from their opponents in the second half.

His drag-backs and driving runs in the second period felt less like a player at full throttle and more like one still finding his rhythm under Tuchel — which, for Croatia and England’s future opponents, is a deeply uncomfortable thought.

Around him, the midfield spine that Tuchel is constructing looks increasingly settled. Declan Rice provided the platform, while Elliot Anderson — facing arguably his sternest international test in the shape of Luka Modric — more than held his own against the 40-year-old Croatian legend. Anderson’s performance was significant enough that Tuchel never seriously considered substituting him, a telling endorsement from a manager not known for sentiment.

Noni Madueke and Harry Kane also benefited from Bellingham’s industry, with the Real Madrid midfielder linking play and creating space for those around him in a way that suggested genuine cohesion is developing.

There is still room for improvement at both ends of the field — Croatia’s equaliser exposed vulnerabilities England will need to address — but the foundations Tuchel is laying in midfield look formidable. Bellingham, Rice and Anderson now appear almost impossible to dislodge from the starting XI, and on this evidence, that is exactly where England need them.