Kane Scores Twice as England Beat Croatia 4-2 in World Cup Opener

Harry Kane scored twice as England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opening World Cup match, kicking off Thomas Tuchel's first tournament in charge with a win.

Kane put England ahead from the penalty spot in the first half after Luka Modric fouled Noni Madueke in the box. Dominik Livakovic saved his first attempt, but the kick was retaken after the keeper was ruled to have strayed off his line early. Kane made no mistake the second time, sending the ball the same way as before while Livakovic dived the wrong way.

Croatia hit back almost immediately through Martin Baturina, who curled a shot from outside the box into the top corner past Jordan Pickford. Kane restored England's lead soon after, heading home unmarked from a corner, but Croatia leveled again before halftime when Petar Musa finished off a knockdown from Ivan Perisic.

England came out sharper after the break. Jude Bellingham needed less than a minute and a half to put his side back in front, beating his man down the right before firing low across goal. England then dominated for a long stretch, with Declan Rice drawing another good save from Livakovic, though they could not add to their lead during that spell.

Substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the win late on, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner after getting past his marker. Croatia pushed for a way back in the final minutes and kept Pickford busy, but the result was already beyond reach.

The win matters given the tense buildup to the tournament and shaky form in England's warmup games. 

Tuchel will be pleased with the start, though the defensive lapses against Croatia, a team that has become a real rival for England in recent years, are likely to be a focus before the next match. 

Next up in Group L, England meet Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, with Croatia set to face Panama three hours later.