How the rest of the world reacted to 'pure force' England after World Cup win vs Croatia
England sent a signal of intent as they put four past Croatia in Dallas to kick off their World Cup on Wednesday.
Harry Kane found the net twice before Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford got on the score sheet, cancelling out Martin Baturina and Petar Musa's strikes and securing a 4-2 win for Thomas Tuchel's side.
The Three Lions are among the favourites to win the tournament for the first time since 1966, with Ghana and Panama to come next week in group L.
Many have been unsure of what to expect from Tuchel's England after a series of unimpressive friendlies, but Wednesday's display was a masterclass in pressure and attack.
Kane and co started quickly and went ahead twice in the first half, but ultimately went in frustrated at the break.
The second half saw Croatia put to the sword, however, with England taking 13 shots and creating five big chances in the second 45 minutes.
International media react to England's opening win
The World Cup has already seen surprising results in its opening week, with several underdogs making their presence felt.
Brazil were held by Morocco in their opener, with the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Portugal also failing to win.
The strongest performances have likely come from England, Germany, Sweden and current holders Argentina, who benefitted from a magical Lionel Messi hat-trick in their opener against Algeria.
Still, the Three Lions' destruction of 11th-ranked Croatia was on Wednesday was enough for any team to sit up and pay attention.
Argentinian outlet Tyc Sports described England as "pure force". "In what was clearly the best match of the 2026 World Cup so far, England gave a true demonstration of intent with a resounding 4-2 victory over Croatia," they wrote.
The website added that "Tuchel's men were a whirlwind", and the sentiment was shared elsewhere. Speaking for German newspaper Kicker, reporter Mario Krischel said: "Football is coming home, maybe this time for real".
In their reaction to the game, Croatian outlet Jutarnji wrote: "England is impressive in terms of speed on the flanks, as well as in physical superiority in all lines."
England have sent significant statement
England were expected to beat Croatia, but by no means was it ever considered an easy game.
The team led by the legendary Luka Modric made it to the World Cup final in 2018 and the semi-final in 2022. The 2024 European Championships did bring about a disappointing early exit, but eventual winners Spain and Italy in their group did make for an extremely difficult task.
Croatia gave England problems, too, but the way Tuchel's team turned it on in the second half and batted away their opposition will have raised eyebrows.
Potential opponents may well spend the coming days attempting early analysis of the display, which has seen the introduction of an England that can cause serious problems.