The England World Cup 2026 campaign started on a winning note with the Three Lions beating Croatia 4-2 in their opening match. Harry Kane scored a brace, and Jude Bellingham also found the net in the match.
The England vs Croatia match showed that Thomas Tuchel’s men have prepared well for the tournament. In this article, we will take a look at three areas England have improved upon.
Three Areas Where England World Cup 2026 Team Has Improved On
#3. Implementing Corner-Kicks Well
Declan Rice takes corner-kicks well, and his perfect deliveries make those set-pieces lethal. Kane scored one of his goals with a header from one such corner. England could have scored another goal from a corner had Nico O’Reilly been able to keep his header on target.
The threat that England pose from the corners must keep their upcoming opponents worried. In Kane, O’Reilly and John Stones, England have a few top-class headers in their team. In such a scenario, the England World Cup 2026 campaign will rely heavily on Rice’s deliveries from corners.
Rice also takes the corners and free-kicks for Arsenal, and the Gunners are known for their ability to score goals from set-plays.
#2. Launching Counter-Attacks Through the Right Side
Two of England’s four goals came from counter-attacks and both were launched through the right side of their attack. Both Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are quite adept at cutting in from the right flank, as they wait for long balls played from inside their own half.
At times, Kane himself drops deep to be in a position to play those diagonal passes to the right flank and thereby start the move.
The left-backs of England’s upcoming opponents will have to be ready to deal with such attacks by being in their original position most of the time.
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#1. Pressing High and Making Darting Runs to the Opposition Penalty Box
In the second half against Croatia, England pressed high and made forceful runs at the opposition’s penalty box after winning the ball back. It was some high-intensity football from the Three Lions that took the Croats by surprise, and it was no surprise that the English were able to score twice in the second half.
Both Bellingham and Rashford can be crucial in this regard, with the former winning the ball back inside the opposition half and the latter then taking up a position to run in with the ball. Not to mention, Kane himself will be in the mix as well.
That is something that England have developed under Tuchel, and the success of the England World Cup 2026 campaign will depend a lot upon their ability to put pressure on the opposition defence by pressing high and then launching quick attacks.
As of now, it remains to be seen whether the Three Lions are able to build on their good start in the England vs Croatia match. They are almost certain to qualify from their group, but their focus should be on topping it.
Tuchel will hope that his team will perform well in their next two group matches to keep the England World Cup 2026 campaign on track.
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