It was a perfect first outing at the 2026 World Cup for England as they beat Croatia 4-2. They’d had to wait six days after the tournament began, but the Group L clash lived up to expectations.
Harry Kane opened the scoring from 12 yards, getting to retake his initially missed penalty, but saw his team pegged back thanks to a fine strike from Martin Baturina in the 36th minute. The England captain hit back with a header from a corner before the break, but there was still time for Petar Musa to make it 2-2 before the half-time whistle blew.
In the second half, the Three Lions really took control of the game, keeping Croatia at arm's length throughout. They were helped by Jude Bellingham's effort just two minutes after play resumed, while Marcus Rashford made it 4-2 late on to seal what was an impressive performance for the most part.
One man in particular stood out and has picked up plenty of praise from the England fans.
He was way off the pace for the Three Lions.
Three Lions Star Delivers Goods at World Cup
Before the game, there would have been many disappointed to see Arsenal star Bukayo Saka start. However, Tuchel has revealed that the winger is nursing an Achilles injury , so he won't be fully fit at the start of the World Cup.
As such, Noni Madueke was given the nod. The other Arsenal winger is a fine player on his day, but can often frustrate fans. This was evident with the open goal he missed in the pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica. His efforts on that day left many insisting he should not start this summer .
Tuchel ignored those pleas and was rewarded with an electric performance. Madueke was arguably the most threatening player on the pitch in the first half as he won a penalty for the Three Lions and consistently wreaked havoc on the left wing.
He finished the game with a 7.6 SofaScore rating , only bettered by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The winger played 72 minutes in total, with two key passes, one big chance created, 0.41 expected assists, and lost the ball just twice with his 26 touches.
England Fans Apologise to Madueke
A number of England fans made it clear they had misjudged Madueke's quality, as they took to social media to apologise to the winger. One wrote:
"Noni Madueke I owe you an apology. England’s best player."
Another added: "Madueke I owe you an apology." One more said:
"Madueke I owe you an apology I wasn't really familiar with your game."
Others were really impressed, with one remarking: "Madueke has been the best player for England so far in this game and this same guy everyone keeps saying he doesn’t deserve a spot at the World Cup campaign. Let your apology be louder than your disrespect."
One more summed up the mood, saying: "I keep telling you guys Noni Madueke is an elite winger."
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