O'Reilly stars at left-back as England open World Cup 2026 with 4-2 win over Croatia

Nico O’Reilly delivered a statement performance as England opened their World Cup 2026 campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas, silencing doubters who questioned Thomas Tuchel’s decision to start the Manchester City man ahead of more established left-back options. Harry Kane scored twice, with Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also on the scoresheet.

The 21-year-old, wearing the No.3 shirt, summed up his mood in six words on Instagram after the final whistle: “Just the start, let’s keep going.” It was a childhood dream realised for O’Reilly, who has now cemented himself as England’s undoubted first-choice left-back under Tuchel.

The selection had not been without controversy. Neither Lewis Hall nor Luke Shaw were included in the squad, and O’Reilly’s own role had appeared uncertain during the pre-tournament friendlies, where he featured in midfield while Djed Spence was preferred at left-back. Whether Tuchel was assessing his options in the middle of the park or simply managing O’Reilly’s workload remained unclear, but the German coach reverted to the City man on the left for the final warm-up against Costa Rica and kept faith with him against Croatia.

Tuchel’s reasoning became clearer over the course of the 90 minutes. Like John Stones — himself a contentious pick ahead of Marc Guehi — O’Reilly offers the England manager specific qualities that fit his system: set-piece presence, high pressing in the opponent’s half, and the technical composure to resist pressure in the build-up phase. His background as a midfielder under Pep Guardiola at City makes him one of England’s most ball-secure players when playing out from the back, something Tuchel exploited by repeatedly asking Jordan Pickford to play short to his left.

O’Reilly also came close to adding to England’s tally in the second half, only denied by a sharp save from Croatian goalkeeper Livakovic. His aerial ability proved equally important at the other end, helping England deal with long balls as their forwards pressed Croatia’s defensive line.

Tuchel has faced criticism for omitting Hall and Shaw, and there will remain those who believe either could have started. But on the opening night of the tournament, O’Reilly made the strongest possible case that the decision was the right one.