Sixty years of hurt, but another shot at glory – and it begins against the team that caused so much of it. England face Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday in their 2026 World Cup opener, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final that ended with the Three Lions in tears.
Captain Harry Kane, who scored a brace in England's 2018 opener against Tunisia, leads a squad aiming for only the second Jules Rimet trophy in the nation's history. But England's record in opening matches has been a mixed bag.
“England face Croatia in their 2026 World Cup opener in Dallas, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final defeat.”
Stan Mortensen scored England's first ever World Cup goal in their maiden finals match, a 2-0 win over Chile in 1950 at the Maracana. Eight years later, a 4-4 draw with Belgium in Basel saw Nat Lofthouse score twice and an own goal force extra-time. In 1958, England drew 2-2 with the Soviet Union after trailing 2-0, Tom Finney equalising from the penalty spot.
The first defeat in an opener came in 1962, a 2-1 loss to Hungary, with Florian Albert scoring the winner. And in 1966, England opened with a goalless draw against Uruguay at Wembley – before going on to win the tournament.
England have played in 17 World Cup finals, having not entered until 1950 and failing to qualify three times (1974, 1978, 1994). Now, under manager Thomas Tuchel, they face Croatia – the side that knocked them out at the semi-final stage eight years ago, in Moscow.
All eyes are on Texas as the Three Lions look to start strong. Kane's brace against Tunisia in 2018 remains the most recent positive memory from an opener; since then, England have suffered more heartbreak than celebration. Wednesday offers a chance to rewrite the script.