Ivković analyzes Croatia's World Cup loss to England: 'Key tactical errors, set pieces a constant danger'

Croatia began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a disappointing 2-4 defeat against England in Dallas. The match, described as a rollercoaster with six goals, saw Croatia struggle with tactical discipline and defensive stability.

Tomo Ivković, analyzing the game for HRT, pointed out early mistakes that allowed England to control phases of play. He noted that Croatia's high press and midfield imbalance, with Luka Modrić focusing too narrowly on Jude Bellingham, created space for England. "We started very well, but some atypical mistakes by individual players occurred early on," Ivković said. He added that the team found better organization once Pašalić stopped tracking Bellingham, leading to periods where Croatia appeared to control the game.

The analysis highlighted set pieces as a persistent danger, with Ivković questioning the team's vulnerability. "The first half was at a high level, but when you reach a situation where set pieces are constantly a danger and half a goal, you have to ask yourself why that is," he stated.

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The first half was at a high level, but when you reach a situation where set pieces are constantly a danger and half a goal, you have to ask yourself why that is.

England took the lead in the 12th minute through a Harry Kane penalty, which was retaken after a VAR review. Croatia equalized in the 36th minute via Martin Baturina, assisted by Petar Sučić. However, England regained the lead before halftime with another Kane goal in the 42nd minute. Croatia managed to level the score at 2-2 in first-half stoppage time through Petar Musa, assisted by Ivan Perišić.

The second half saw England retake the lead in the 47th minute through Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford sealed the victory in the 86th minute, confirming the 4-2 scoreline. The result leaves Croatia facing an uphill battle in the tournament.

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We started very well, but some atypical mistakes by individual players occurred early on. I think we started with Luka too high, and Pašalić too low. Luka was only focused on Bellingham and we lost balance – space was left in the middle for the English to play.