England's 4-2 win over Croatia draws 15.4 million peak viewers, highest of 2026

England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in their World Cup 2026 Group L opener in Dallas drew a peak television audience of 15.4 million, ITV has confirmed — the highest peak figure recorded on any UK channel or streamer since UEFA Euro 2024. An average of 14.2 million watched the match itself, with 10 million tuning in across ITV’s full broadcast window.

Harry Kane scored twice, with Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford adding second-half strikes to seal a commanding win for Thomas Tuchel’s side. ITV noted that 2.3 million viewers fell in the 16-34 age bracket, though the figures excluded those who streamed the match on personal devices.

“The peak audience on a TV set is the highest peak audience of 2026, ahead of The Traitors at 9.8 million, and the highest peak audience on any channel or streamer since the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament,” ITV said in a statement.

Tuchel reserved particular praise for captain Kane, who impressed not only with his goals but with a late defensive block that drew admiration from his manager.

“If you see the commitment of our captain, of our number nine, in extra time to block a crucial shot after a set piece with all his body and his commitment to buy into a defensive action like this, then you know everything about his performance today,” Tuchel said. “Complete performance, absolute leader and he is all in — he’s all in physically, he’s all in mentally, and he’s all in.”

Tuchel also highlighted Bellingham’s appetite for high-stakes occasions, noting that the Real Madrid midfielder had embraced a slightly different role within the England setup.

“You can rely on Jude in these moments,” Tuchel said. “He loves these pressure games. That brings out the best in him. Also, because of the last 16, 17 days, how he bought into the idea of team spirit and brotherhood, and into the idea of how we want to play football, which is slightly different to his position in Real Madrid.”

England have since returned to their base in Kansas City ahead of their second group fixture, against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, with kick-off at 9pm BST.