Croatia falls to England in World Cup, will return to Alexandria to prepare for Panama

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Croatia's World Cup opened with a 4-2 loss to England in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday — but for the Alexandria fans who have spent the past week getting to know the team training in their city, the result came with a consolation: the two players who found the net are among the squad's brightest young talents, and both are now headed back to Alexandria.

England, among the tournament favorites, twice had to answer a Croatia side that refused to fold. Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute — after Dominik Livaković saved his first attempt, forcing a retake for encroachment. Croatia drew level in the 36th when Martin Baturina, the 23-year-old Como midfielder, lashed a long-range strike past Jordan Pickford. Kane restored England's lead before the break, heading home a Declan Rice corner in the 42nd.

Then, deep in first-half stoppage time, Croatia struck again — and through a familiar face for American soccer fans. Petar Musa, the FC Dallas striker, turned home a knockdown to make it 2-2 at the interval, scoring a World Cup goal in the very state where he plays his club football.

The second half belonged to England. Jude Bellingham put the Three Lions back ahead two minutes after the restart, and Marcus Rashford sealed it in the 85th, sending England to a 4-2 win in manager Thomas Tuchel's World Cup debut. It was, in the end, a rematch of the 2018 semifinal that went England's way this time — but not without Croatia's veterans and youngsters giving the favorites a genuine scare.

The local angle: the players Alexandria met

For the Brief's readers, the box score reads like a roster of the week's press conferences. Baturina sat at the Episcopal High School podium days ago, fielding questions about being one of Croatia's emerging talents. Musa is the teammate Marco Pašalić referenced when the Brief asked about the squad's MLS contingent — and now both MLS-based players, Pašalić and Musa, have a World Cup goal between them on home soil.

Livaković, the goalkeeper who spoke about feeling welcomed in Alexandria, kept Croatia in the match with a string of saves, including a remarkable sequence midway through the second half. And Luka Modrić, at 40 and in what is widely expected to be his fifth and final World Cup, started before being substituted in the 58th minute.

These are the same players who, just over a week ago, signed autographs and handed mini soccer balls to hundreds of Alexandria children at a community event. On Wednesday, two of them scored at a World Cup.

How Alexandria watched

The city's connection to the team showed up in the stands of a different sort, too. Mayor Alyia Gaskins — who welcomed Croatia to Alexandria with an official proclamation June 10 — watched Wednesday's match from Franklin Hall in Washington, which has served as a Croatia match-day headquarters during the tournament, joining members of the Croatian community and fellow Alexandrians.

Among the local contingent was the Slightly Overweight Fathers of Alexandria, or S.O.F.A., a group of Alexandrians who turned out alongside the Croatian community to cheer the team on. "Let's go Croatia!" the mayor wrote in a post from the watch party. The turnout offered a snapshot of how the team's stay has rippled beyond Episcopal High School and into the wider community — Alexandrians crossing the river to stand with Croatian fans for the opener.

The Slightly Overweight Fathers of Alexandria (S.O.F.A) and local Alexandrians are joining the Croatian community to watch today’s game! Let’s go Croatia! ⚽️#mayorforalx #alyia4alx #worldcup #croatia pic.twitter.com/JpfDhJfoJz
— Alyia Gaskins (@Alyia4ALX) June 17, 2026

What's next — and why it's not over

A loss to England, the group favorite, does not end Croatia's tournament. Under the expanded 48-team format, the top two teams in each group advance to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-place finishers. Croatia's path now runs through its next two matches — and the Panama game becomes pivotal.

The team will fly back to Dulles Airport Wednesday night and return to its Alexandria base to regroup. Croatia resumes training at Episcopal High School on Thursday before facing Panama on June 23 in Toronto, then Ghana on June 27 in Philadelphia.

After each match, the Vatreni come back to Alexandria — meaning the city's role as host, and the team's stay, continues for at least another week and a half.