England captain Harry Kane has given his side an early lead in their 2026 World Cup clash against Croatia, converting a penalty after remarkable spot-kick drama.
The opener came after Luka Modric fouled Arsenal’s Noni Madueke inside the Croatian penalty area, handing England an early opportunity to break the deadlock.
Kane stepped up confidently to take the penalty, but Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced a strong save to deny the England skipper on his first attempt.
However, a VAR review quickly determined that Livakovic had stepped off his line too early, meaning the rules required the penalty to be retaken.
Kane showed nerves of steel when he stepped up for the second time, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1-0 and settle any anxiety around the miss.
Croatia then pulled themselves level through a stunning Martin Baturina strike in the 36th minute, threatening to dampen England’s momentum on a dramatic afternoon.
England responded swiftly, with Kane grabbing his second goal just six minutes later from a Declan Rice corner kick to restore their lead at 2-1.
The Bayern Munich striker made a late run into the box before thumping in a powerful header, doubling his personal tally and sending England fans into delirium.
The goal brought Kane level with Gary Lineker for goals scored at a World Cup for England, a remarkable individual milestone in a chaotic and entertaining match.
Croatia refused to lie down, however, and pulled level again right before half-time through Petar Musa, who capitalised on a clever lobbed pass that Ivan Perisic kept in play with a well-timed header into his path.
Musa struck his shot past Jordan Pickford to make it 2-2, ensuring the first half ended with the scoreline level and both sets of fans on the edge of their seats.
The opening 45 minutes delivered everything a football fan could ask for, featuring a saved penalty, a retake, two Kane goals, and two Croatian strikes in a breathless encounter.
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