England Follow-Up
Orlando is done; now England have to show the same control when Croatia start biting back.
England are one result away from the soft talk ending. The 3-0 win over Costa Rica in Orlando was useful because it sharpened a few things that had looked fuzzy, but Croatia on June 17 at AT&T Stadium is the proper check. If Rice and Bellingham control that midfield as cleanly as they did in Florida, England can make Group L feel manageable early. If not, the temperature rises at once.
The Costa Rica win mattered because it sharpened England's best pairing, not because it looked pretty on a scoreboard.
The Rice-Bellingham axis gave England the kind of middle-third control supporters keep asking for. Rice scored, Bellingham kept turning the first line, and Gordon's direct running made the left side feel less predictable. That is the carry-over that matters. Croatia are not going to gift space the same way, but England at least arrive with a cleaner reference point.
There is a second layer to it as well. Watkins scoring off the bench and Gordon taking the penalty both matter because Tuchel needs more than one obvious route to goal. England have spent too many big nights looking as if every attack has to pass through the same two names. Orlando suggested there may be a bit more variety there.
Croatia is where the midfield conversation gets real.
Croatia still know how to turn matches into an argument in central areas. That is why the Rice and Bellingham piece is not a throwaway note. England need that pair to win second balls, keep the tempo from getting sticky, and stop the match from drifting into one of those stop-start evenings where every attack takes too long to form.
The other matchup worth watching is Gordon against a back line that will defend its box more tightly than Costa Rica managed. He earned the penalty in Orlando by driving the lane early and often. If England can get that same direct running around Kane, the Croatia match becomes far less easy to clog up.
England vs Croatia is June 17, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. UTC-5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. England arrive after a 3-0 win over Costa Rica, with Rice, Gordon, and Watkins on the scoring line.
What matters next
If England beat Croatia, the whole group settles quickly and the Ghana match starts to look like a chance to press the advantage rather than repair anything. If the opener gets messy, the section stops feeling routine at once.
Keep the England schedule page close for the Croatia kickoff and the latest score state. The wider England team hub and England squad page stay connected for the broader squad and tournament picture.
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