For a decade, England have been the team that arrives at major tournaments with maximal hype and minimal early conviction, grinding through group stages before finding form somewhere around the quarterfinals. Against Croatia on Tuesday, they inverted the script entirely—pressing high, finishing clinically, and looking every bit the contenders their talent pool suggests they should be.
The 3-1 win was not merely a result; it was a tone-setter. Harry Kane's brace—one from the spot, one a trademark header from a Bukayo Saka cross—gave England a two-goal cushion before halftime. Jude Bellingham, continuing his evolution from prodigy to protagonist, added a third after the break with a curling effort that left Dominik Livaković grasping at air. Andrej Kramarić's late consolation was precisely that: consolation.
The VAR subplot
England's opening goal arrived via a penalty awarded after a VAR intervention, the first significant test of FIFA's revised handball protocols for this tournament. The new guidance—clarifying that arm position relative to body silhouette, not mere contact, determines culpability—worked exactly as intended. Joško Gvardiol's arm was extended unnaturally; the spot kick was correct. Whether every match official interprets the rule with equal precision remains to be seen, but the system functioned here.
Croatia's twilight
The more consequential storyline may be what this match revealed about Croatia. Luka Modrić, 40, and the core that reached the 2018 final and took third in 2022 have defied actuarial tables for years. On Tuesday, the bill came due. Modrić was dispossessed in dangerous areas twice in the first half; Marcelo Brozović struggled to win second balls; the pressing triggers that once made Croatia's midfield a blender for opponents simply weren't there. Manager Zlatko Dalić faces an uncomfortable question: Does he protect legends by limiting their minutes, or ride loyalty into an early exit?
What it means for Group D
England now sit atop a group that includes Denmark and Serbia, both of whom drew 1-1 in the day's other fixture. A win or draw against Denmark on Matchday 2 would all but guarantee progression. Croatia, meanwhile, need results against both remaining opponents and may require help. For a nation that has punched so far above its weight class, the arithmetic is suddenly unforgiving.
Our take
England have burned us before—remember the Iceland debacle, the penalty shootout losses, the agonizing near-misses. Skepticism is earned. But this felt different: composed, ruthless, and devoid of the nervous energy that has historically plagued their tournament openers. Kane is 32 and hunting a trophy he's never won. Bellingham is 22 and playing like he expects to win everything. If Southgate can keep the balance between those two energies, England might finally convert potential into silverware. Croatia, meanwhile, should be thanked for a glorious run—but Tuesday suggested the thank-you card may need to be written sooner than their fans hoped.
