England opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, pulling away after halftime in Thomas Tuchel’s first tournament game in charge. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford were on target as England turned a 2-2 score into a convincing start. Kane said Tuchel delivered a “great speech” at the break, while the manager said he told his players to “go for it.”

Bellingham, who again played a central role, said the external “noise” around his place in the team could help him find his best form. England were without Bukayo Saka, with Noni Madueke coming into the side.

There were notable results elsewhere in the opening round. Portugal were held 1-1 by DR Congo in Group K, while Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1. Uzbekistan still had a landmark moment as Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the nation’s first-ever goal at a World Cup finals. Ghana left it late to beat Panama 1-0, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring in the 95th minute. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr were among the early scorers, with Messi opening his tournament with a hat-trick.

Off the field, FIFA issued a statement after claims that ticketless fans entered AT&T Stadium before England’s opener. Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi was denied entry to Canada for his country’s next match, and a drone was intercepted over South Korea’s training base before its game against Mexico.

In the transfer market, Real Madrid agreed a four-year deal for Ibrahima Konate once the France defender leaves Liverpool at the end of June. Liverpool, meanwhile, agreed a deal for Osasuna winger Victor Munoz after triggering his release clause, with the Spain winger close to signing a six-year contract.