Harry Kane scored twice to equal England's all-time World Cup scoring record, while Jude Bellingham netted the decisive goal as England defeated Croatia 4-2 in their Group L opener on Wednesday.
Kane's brace took his World Cup tally to 10 goals, matching the record set by Gary Lineker during the 1986 and 1990 tournaments. Bellingham's goal early in the second half put England ahead for good, while Marcus Rashford added another late strike to secure the victory.
The match was a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semifinal, won by Croatia, and saw both teams exchange goals throughout the first half.
Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Croatian midfielder Luka Modric fouled Noni Madueke in the box. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic initially saved the penalty, but a VAR review showed he had moved off his line before the kick was taken, leading to a retake. Kane converted the second attempt with ease.
Croatia equalised in the 36th minute through Martin Baturina, whose shot into the left corner beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford despite getting a hand to the ball.
Kane restored England's lead with a powerful header from a Declan Rice corner, but Croatia struck again on the final play of the first half when Petar Musa converted from close range after connecting with a header from Ivan Perisic.
England regained control shortly after the break. Just two minutes into the second half, Bellingham collected a long pass from Elliot Anderson, broke clear of the defence and finished confidently past Livakovic, with the ball going in off the far post.
The Real Madrid midfielder nearly added another goal moments later, but Livakovic made several key saves during a sustained spell of English pressure.
Rashford sealed the win in the 85th minute after being set up by Bukayo Saka. The forward entered the penalty area, feinted a shot with his left foot and calmly scored with his right for his 19th international goal.
England coach Thomas Tuchel praised his players' response after Croatia's late first-half equaliser.
"I encouraged them to go for it, to play with more courage, to be brave and be ourselves," Tuchel said. "I loved their reaction."
Kane said Tuchel's halftime message urged the players to play without fear after conceding just before the break.
The Bayern Munich striker now has 81 international goals for England.
For Croatia, the match marked another milestone for veteran captain Luka Modric, who became the first Croatian player to appear in five World Cups.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic acknowledged England's quality, saying his side created some good chances but struggled defensively against a strong opponent.
England will face Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, while Croatia take on Panama in Toronto on the same day.