Roarsome! Harry, Jude and Marcus give England the ideal start with 4-2 triumph over Croatia in barnstorming World Cup opener… as England fans drink Dallas dry
Three Lions fans on both sides of the Atlantic roared as England recorded a thrilling victory over Croatia in their World Cup opener in Dallas last night.
Thomas Tuchel’s team was too good for the world No. 11; Talismanic striker Harry Kane helped himself before Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford added goals.
Those cheering on England’s 4-2 win at the Dallas Stadium were joined by many WAGs from Miami, where the players’ families are staying. These included John Stones’ wife Olivia, Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie and Bellingham’s girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, all of whom were eager to post about their involvement on social media.
And back on home turf, an estimated 16 million revelers watched Kane and his pals down nearly 24 million pints of beer at home and in pubs as employers across the country geared up for ‘Hangover Thursday’.
The £355 million blowout of the match brought in arguably Britain’s biggest TV audience for two years.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘While we were all cheering on the team, we expected an extra five million pints to be drawn in pubs for England’s first game, a huge boost to the industry.’
Meanwhile, attendance platform BrightHR, which tracks the absence of more than a million employees across more than 50,000 UK companies, said sickness rates would double today if the trend at Euro 2024 was repeated.
Chief executive Alan Price said: ‘Employers are “preparing for Hangover Thursday and we anticipate a sharp increase in absences due to sore heads for many fans.”
Three Lions captain Harry Kane celebrates after his team won four goals to two against Croatia in Arlington, Texas
Picture: Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon celebrate their victory against the Balkan side on Wednesday
Bellingham scored the fourth goal, consolidating the England team’s victory and achieving their first victory in the 2026 World Cup.
Among those who definitely won’t be able to come into the office today are the more than 10,000 England fans making the Atlantic journey to Texas.
Fans were jubilant when they started arriving at the 80,000-capacity Dallas Stadium in Arlington hours before kickoff. 20 miles west of downtown Dallas, hundreds of people took the chance to visit Grassy Knoll and the site of the JFK assassination.
Three Lions fans dressed in white or red shirts and cowboy hats flooded pubs near the venue from 9am. Since beers cost £5 in some surrounding bars (even cheaper than in London), many people had a drink before heading to the stadium, where Stella Artois was sold for £13.40.
To combat such high prices, many England and Croatia fans have hit supermarkets and fast food restaurants to stock up on more beer.
There was also a friendly rivalry among the thousands of Croatian fans who flocked to Texas for the match. The old foes knocked England out of the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage.
Their little star, 40-year-old Luka Modric, was England’s biggest enemy as they defeated the Three Lions 2-1, and the fans were wearing his red-and-white checkered number 10 jersey.
In a pub outside the ground, a raucous crowd held up a St George flag and were singing along to Oasis classics – interspersed with ‘Ingerland, Ingerland, Ingerland’. Even though it was only 11am, there was a huge beer sale going on in the bar and the Guinness was sinking as the staff were swept off their feet.
Charlotte Tate, manager of The Londoner, told the Daily Mail: ‘We’ve got a few bars in Dallas and things are going crazy.
‘We ran out of bottled beer at the downtown Dallas venue, and then the kegs were gone, too. But we have talked to our vendors and we will buy more. Things are going great and everyone is having a great time. Actually, I’m going to the match. One of our suppliers booked me a ticket. I know it will be a difficult match but we will win; ‘I’m nervous but confident.’
Engineer Courtenay Claussnitzer, 55, originally from London, was at the bar with her 16-year-old son Miles, who had flown in from Atlanta, where they lived.
They paid $1,100 (£827) for each ticket. Miles said: ‘I’m so excited, my dad drinks beer but I’m too young to drink it. The atmosphere is great and it’s great to be with the fans.’ As the big kickoff approached, the booze appeared to have taken its toll on some.
Jordan Pickford’s wife, Megan Pickford, drank in the stands before tonight’s game in Arlington. Cheered enthusiastically for the Three Lions team
Jude Bellingham’s stunning girlfriend, Ashlyn Castro, carefully walked through the stands in Dallas and proudly supported her partner while wearing a Three Lions jersey.
Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie Alderson also took a hydration break with a friend while watching her man compete against Croatia.
Olivia was all smiles as she prepared to watch partner John Stones represent England on the world stage
When England took the field to warm up 40 minutes before the start of the match, they were greeted with boos and chants.
But such mixed feelings did not last long. Fans joined in with Fat Les’ classic terrace World Cup song, Vindaloo, as the sides performed shuttle runs and close passes.
In Dallas, whose roof was closed to keep the crowd and players cool, a giant TV screen was hung in the middle of the field to further liven up the pre-match atmosphere, showing pictures of the crowd and footage from past tournaments.
In the sweltering 33C heat, England fans sang Sweet Caroline and Football’s Coming Home as they marched into the stadium, brimming with confidence that this could be the time for the Three Lions.
Croatia was England’s biggest challenge against their three Group L opponents. Tuchel’s team will play Ghana in Boston next Tuesday, followed by Panama at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on June 27. The team flew straight back to its base in Kansas City last night.
The Wild West just got a little wilder as UK fans flocked to the city…
England fans at the Londoner Pub in Dallas ahead of their World Cup match on June 16 as England prepare to face Croatia
Fans continue the celebration at the Londoner Pub on June 16, 2026
Shirtless, dancing on tables and singing at the rodeo, England fans enjoyed the Wild West in Dallas yesterday.
A party at a bar was so loud that the police were called to calm the situation.
Officers escorted Stetson-wearing supporters out of the Londoner Pub in Mockingbird Station after finding topless Britons gyrating on tables and shouting Sweet Caroline.
The outdoor veranda and balcony were packed with England fans, who hung a giant St George’s Cross flag over the building. They drank 5,000 beers and spent £30,000 while singing their hearts out for Harry Kane and the team.
And it wasn’t just irrigation ditches in Texas that were infested. Fans in England took over a rodeo singing along and watched the Broncos stunned locals.
An army of 10,000 English fans had flown in and the same number of American-based British veterans were heading for the Wild West clash at Dallas Stadium.
Dozens of die-hard Three Lions fans boarded the last flight from London on Tuesday to attend the opening match against Croatia.
American Airlines Flight 81 was packed with supporters, including Chelsea fan John Nagy, 62, and his sons Daniel, 28, and Max, 27, from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Mr Nagy Snr said: ‘This cost the best part of £15,000 but you can’t take it with you!’
