England Wins, Rice Recovers
England secures 4-2 World Cup win; Declan Rice limps off but declares himself 'all good'.
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Key Points
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England’s opening goal came from Harry Kane’s penalty that was retaken: his first spot-kick was saved, but the second attempt went in after encroachment and because Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic came off his line.
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Tuchel explained the Rice switch as part caution, but also discussed England’s overall performance after the break—saying they were “not very clean with the first and second touch,” losing many ball moments after winning them, and describing the team as “exhausted,” though he insisted the result left him with “only positives.”
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When Rice was taken off in the 72nd minute, England made multiple changes at once: Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke were also withdrawn, with Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka coming on—while Jude Bellingham dropped into central midfield alongside Elliot Anderson to help close the game out.
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One report said Rice’s concern may have been tied to a longer-running issue: he was “understood to have been battling a back problem since the closing stages of Arsenal’s campaign,” with “injections needed to control the complaint.”
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Beyond scoring, Rice also contributed directly to England’s second goal: he delivered the corner that Harry Kane headed home during the first half.
England opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas on June 17, but the victory was quickly shadowed by a scare involving Declan Rice. The Arsenal midfielder was pulled off in the 72nd minute after he was spotted limping, sparking immediate concern about his fitness for the rest of the tournament. Metro and talkSPORT both reported the limping before Rice himself spoke to ITV Sport post-match.
Rice moved quickly to calm fears. "I'm all good," he told ITV Sport. "I've been managing some neural pains since the back end of the Arsenal season, but it was just a bit of a flare-up." He added that he expects to be available for England's next Group L match against Ghana.
Kane Scores Twice as England Survive Croatia Fightback
Harry Kane put England ahead in the 12th minute with a penalty — but only at the second attempt. His first spot-kick was saved by Dominik Livakovic, yet the retake was ordered because Livakovic came off his line and Croatian players had entered the area early. Kane converted the retake. He then headed home a precise Declan Rice corner in the 42nd minute to make it 2-1, equalling Gary Lineker's England record of 10 World Cup goals, ITV Sport reported.
Croatia twice levelled before the break. Martin Baturina struck a powerful finish in the 36th minute, and Petar Musa converted in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-2 at the interval. Jude Bellingham restored England's lead just two minutes into the second half, and Marcus Rashford sealed it late to make the final score 4-2. England finished with an xG of 2.84 against Croatia's 0.59, according to Yahoo Sports.
Rice's Back Problem Has Lingered Since Arsenal's Season
The worry around Rice is not new. Express reported that Rice had been battling a back problem since the closing stages of Arsenal's Premier League campaign, with injections needed to keep the complaint under control. "Neural pain" typically refers to nerve-related discomfort — often tied to nerve compression in the spine — that can flare up during explosive movements on hard surfaces.
Rice confirmed as much after the match. He said he had been "nursing" the neural pains for much of the second half of Arsenal's season. He did not suggest the issue was serious enough to rule him out, but the combination of an existing complaint and visible limping in the heat of a World Cup opener raised red flags. Yahoo Sports also noted that Marcus Rashford was seen holding his hamstring after the final whistle, pointing to a potential double injury concern for England.
Tuchel Made a Triple Switch to Protect Rice and Close the Game
England manager Thomas Tuchel acted quickly once he saw Rice was not moving freely. In the 72nd minute, he pulled off Rice, Anthony Gordon, and Noni Madueke all at once, bringing on Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, and Bukayo Saka. "I would normally never take Declan out," Tuchel said at his post-match press conference. "He is the heart of our transition. But we could see he was not moving freely. We didn't want to take any risk," Express reported.
After the triple switch, Jude Bellingham dropped back into central midfield alongside Elliot Anderson to help England hold the result. Tuchel still saw room to improve. He said England were "not very clean with the first and second touch" after the break and described the squad as "exhausted." Despite that, he insisted the result left him with "only positives" ahead of the Ghana game.
Rice Expected Back for Ghana, But Questions Remain
Rice gave his clearest signal of recovery in the post-match zone. He told ITV Sport he expects to play against Ghana, England's next Group L opponent. Tuchel's framing of the substitution as pure precaution backed that up — he made no suggestion the injury was serious or long-lasting. The fact that England looked controlled after Rice left, with Bellingham and Anderson stepping up, also reduced the immediate panic.
The longer-term picture is less clear. A back problem managed with injections throughout the final weeks of a club season is a different beast from a clean bill of health. A seven-game tournament format leaves little room for error. Metro noted the concern plainly — England cannot afford to lose their midfield anchor for an extended stretch, and no one in the squad directly replicates what Rice provides in defensive coverage and transition.
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