England’s first game gave everyone something to talk about.

A 4-2 win over Croatia looks comfortable at first glance, but this was anything but straightforward. It was open, chaotic, occasionally messy and, at times, genuinely exciting. England showed attacking quality, resilience and personality, but they also gave Thomas Tuchel plenty to think about before the next group game. For an opening match, it had everything: a retaken penalty, two Croatia equalisers, a Jude Bellingham moment, Harry Kane doing Harry Kane things, defensive lapses and Marcus Rashford coming off the bench to make a point.

The most important thing is that England won. Three points on the board. Top of Group L. Momentum secured.

England began the game with real intent. There was energy in the press, purpose in possession and a clear attempt to get at Croatia early rather than ease into the tournament. That early pressure paid off when Noni Madueke won a penalty after causing problems in the Croatian box. Harry Kane stepped up, but his first effort was saved by Dominik Livaković. For a moment, it looked like England had wasted the perfect chance to settle themselves.

Then VAR intervened.

Livaković had moved off his line early, the penalty was ordered to be retaken and Kane made no mistake the second time. It was a slightly strange way to take the lead, but England deserved it based on the opening stages. At that point, everything looked calm. England were moving the ball well, Croatia looked uncomfortable, and the front line had enough pace and movement to keep the defence guessing.

Croatia’s first equaliser came through Martin Baturina, and it exposed one of England’s biggest issues on the night: defensive concentration. England had looked in control, but Croatia didn’t need much encouragement. A loose moment, a bit of space, and suddenly the game was level. Jordan Pickford got something on the strike, but not enough to keep it out.

England responded well, though. Declan Rice’s delivery from a corner caused chaos, and Kane found himself completely free to head England back in front. It was poor defending from Croatia, but excellent movement from Kane.  But the problem was that England then allowed Croatia back into the game again.

Just before half-time, Petar Musa made it 2-2 after more hesitant defending. It was the kind of goal that will frustrate Tuchel because England had done the hard part twice. They had taken the lead twice, controlled plenty of the half, and still went in level.

That first half summed up England perfectly: dangerous going forward, vulnerable when the game became stretched. The second half could’ve easily become nervy. Instead, Jude Bellingham grabbed the game by the collar almost immediately.

Within minutes of the restart, he drove forward and finished brilliantly to make it 3-2. It was a proper Bellingham goal: powerful, confident and delivered at exactly the moment England needed someone to take responsibility. That goal changed the feeling of the match.

England looked sharper afterwards. The passing had more speed, the press had more bite and Croatia started to look stretched. The anxiety of the first half was replaced by a much more assertive England performance. Bellingham gives this team something different. He does not just play well when England are comfortable. He changes momentum. He makes things happen when the game is awkward. In tournament football, that is priceless.

Harry Kane’s performance was another reminder of how important he is to this England side. He linked play, occupied defenders, dropped into clever spaces and led the team through the messier spells of the game.

His second goal, the header from the corner, was classic Kane. Calm, clever movement, no panic. While others were watching the delivery, he had already found the space. There is always a conversation around whether England rely too heavily on Kane, but when he keeps delivering in these moments, it is easy to see why the team is built around him.

Marcus Rashford’s late goal was another big moment. Coming off the bench, he gave England a different kind of threat. His pace stretched Croatia, and his directness made the game uncomfortable for defenders who were already tiring. His goal sealed the match, but it also raised a question: has he done enough to push for a start against Ghana?

That is exactly what Tuchel will want from his squad. Tournament football is not just about the starting eleven. It is about impact, options and players forcing difficult decisions. Rashford did that.

For all the positives, England’s defensive performance cannot be ignored. Conceding two goals in an opening group game is not a disaster, especially against a side with Croatia’s tournament experience, but the manner of the goals will bother Tuchel.

England looked too passive at times. They dropped too deep in spells, allowed Croatia to build confidence and did not always react quickly enough when the ball broke around the box. Against Croatia, England had enough attacking quality to recover. Against stronger sides later in the tournament, they might not get away with it.

The balance between attacking freedom and defensive control will be the biggest thing to fix.

England now face Ghana on Tuesday 23 June, and the situation is clear: win that, and qualification starts to look very comfortable. Ghana also won their opening game, beating Panama 1-0, so this is likely to be a much bigger test than some might assume. They will bring pace, physicality and counter-attacking threat, which could be dangerous if England defend as loosely as they did at times against Croatia.

Tuchel may be tempted to keep most of the same team, but there are decisions to make. Does Rashford come in after his impact from the bench? Does England need more control in midfield? Does the defensive shape need adjusting? The Croatia game proved England have goals in them. Kane, Bellingham, Rashford, Saka, Madueke and the rest of the attack give Tuchel serious options.

But the Ghana game needs to show more control.

England’s 4-2 win over Croatia was not flawless, but it was exactly the kind of opening result that builds belief. They were exciting. They created chances. They responded every time the game threatened to turn against them. That matters. But they were also too open, too loose defensively and too willing to let Croatia back into a match they should have controlled earlier.

It was a brilliant result, a fun watch and a strong start. Now England need to prove they can follow it up with a more complete performance.