England and Croatia fans paint Dallas red and white for World Cup 2026 debut

Dallas's AT&T Stadium was awash in the white and red of England and Croatia as fans from both nations gathered for their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, with many supporters viewing this tournament as a final opportunity for their national heroes to claim the sport's ultimate prize.

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It's the last dance for Luka Modric, and it would be magnificent if he left with the gold medal. Our expectations are high and they don't change [because] we always finish in the Top Ten.

Croatian fans spoke of high expectations, particularly for veteran Luka Modric. "It's the last dance for Luka Modric, and it would be magnificent if he left with the gold medal," one supporter told EL UNIVERSAL Deportes. "Our expectations are high and they don't change [because] we always finish in the Top Ten."

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[This match] is not so important, it is only the phase of the groups; we beat England where it was important, in the semifinals of the World Cup, and what happens today doesn't matter. They have great players, but the problem is their mentality of losing.

The rivalry between the two nations was palpable. One Croatian fan downplayed the group stage match, recalling their 2018 World Cup semifinal victory over England. "We beat England where it was important, in the semifinals of the World Cup, and what happens today doesn't matter," they stated, adding a critique of England's mentality: "They have great players, but the problem is their losing mentality."

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Luka Modric is a good player and [Croatia] will have a great summer. We feel fantastic, we have a good team with many stars. Thomas Tuchel has made a united team, and that's what we were looking for for a long time.

English fans, meanwhile, expressed excitement about their current squad. "We feel fantastic, we have a good team with many stars. Thomas Tuchel has made a united team, and that's what we were looking for for a long time," said one supporter, referencing the coach. Regarding the team's chances of winning the World Cup, some felt optimistic about future opportunities, even if this year doesn't bring the trophy. "Not entirely, not yet, we don't know what the future holds," one fan commented. "I hope we win this one, but it's okay if we don't."

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Not entirely, not yet, we don't know what the future holds, many years have weighed on us that we haven't won the World Cup… I hope we win this one, but it's okay if we don't.