England’s 2026 World Cup opener saw an early scare when Croatia’s Josip Sutalo attempted an acrobatic volley from a corner, sending the ball over the bar.

Moments later, Harry Kane earned England a corner following their first real attacking move — expertly controlling a bouncing ball on the turn before seeing his effort deflected wide.

From the resulting corner, Luka Modric conceded a penalty amid a tussle inside the box. Kane, who had an outstanding record from the spot for Bayern Munich since joining the club in 2023, stepped up but missed his initial attempt.

The miss, however, did not stand for long. The referee ordered the penalty to be retaken, leading many to assume that Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic had moved off his line too early.

Livakovic did save Kane’s first attempt — a relatively tame strike aimed low to his left — and replays initially suggested that he had left his line prematurely. Yet, the decision to retake was not solely based on that.

According to the match officials, the re-take was awarded due to two separate offences: Livakovic’s movement off his line and encroachment by defender Josko Gvardiol during the kick.

Kane’s distinctive, stuttering run-up — a technique often used by penalty takers to read a goalkeeper’s movement — likely made Livakovic’s positioning appear questionable. Despite keeping one foot near the line, the goalkeeper’s forward motion was deemed illegal.

More crucially, camera replays revealed that Gvardiol had entered the penalty area before the ball was struck and was the first to clear the rebound after Livakovic’s save. His encroachment directly influenced play, which by the laws of the game, mandates a re-take.

Therefore, while Livakovic’s positioning was part of the issue, it was Gvardiol’s encroachment that ultimately confirmed the decision.

Given the double infringement, match officials ordered the penalty to be retaken. Kane, showing trademark composure, stepped up again and confidently dispatched the ball into the same corner — beating Livakovic this time.

The Bayern Munich striker’s successful second attempt put England in control, continuing his strong record of delivering in major international tournaments.

England have built a reputation for fast starts in recent World Cups. They opened their 2018 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Tunisia, courtesy of a Kane brace, and began the 2022 tournament in emphatic fashion, thrashing Iran 6-2 with Kane contributing two assists.

With the 32-year-old continuing to lead from the front, England’s ambitions in the 2026 World Cup remain as high as ever.