World Cup 2026: Jubilation, nerves and relief - pictures capture Lancashire England fans during Group L opener

With no official fan zones announced in and around Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, fans headed to the pub.

Lancashire fans were delighted last night (Wednesday, June 18) as England got off to a winning start with a six goal thriller against World Cup Group L opponents Croatia.

Harry Kane scored twice in the first half, only for Croatia to pull it back with goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, levelling the game by half time.

At half time, you would have been forgiven for worrying that England might throw it all away, but a clinical finish from Jude Bellingham and a goal from Marcus Rashford in the 85th minute put the finishing touches on a comfortable 4-2 win.

We were at the Black Bull in Longton to capture the rollercoaster ride as England kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign.

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