Harry Kane blocked a goal-saving shot in extra time. Thomas Tuchel called him ‘all in.’

Thomas Tuchel didn’t hold back after England’s 4-2 win over Croatia to open their World Cup campaign. He called Harry Kane an ‘absolute leader.’ He said Kane gave a ‘complete performance.’ And then he pointed to one moment that summed up everything.

Deep into stoppage time, with the win already secure, Kane sprinted back to his own goal. He threw his body in front of a shot from Josko Gvardiol. A goal-saving block from a center forward in extra time. That’s the kind of thing that makes a manager go all-in on a player.

‘If you see the commitment of our captain, of our number nine, in the extra time to block a crucial shot after a set piece with all his body and his commitment to buy into a defensive action like this, then you know everything about his performance today,’ Tuchel said. ‘Complete performance, absolute leader and he is all in — physically, mentally, and he’s all in.’

Kane’s two first-half goals tied Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals for England. But Croatia answered back both times, and the game went to halftime at 2-2.

That’s when Jude Bellingham took over. Tuchel made the tough call to start Bellingham ahead of Morgan Rogers, who had been excellent in the buildup. Rogers deserved to start, Tuchel admitted. But Bellingham delivered. He scored just minutes into the second half to put England back in front.

‘You can rely on Jude in these moments,’ Tuchel said. ‘He loves these pressure games. That brings out the best in him.’

Bellingham bought into a slightly different role than what he plays at Real Madrid, Tuchel said. He called Bellingham ‘very reliable’ and praised his team-first attitude over the past 17 days of camp.

Then came Marcus Rashford. The Manchester United forward spent last season on loan at Barcelona. He’d struggled to make an impact off the bench for England. But Tuchel had a conversation with him earlier this week. He told Rashford he was impressed with his focus, his work in meetings, and how fast he translated tactical instructions onto the field.

‘He struggled for us to be decisive when he started, but he was always trying and got a bit unlucky for a long time,’ Tuchel said. ‘I was so happy that he was the one to unlock this long spell.’

Rashford’s cool finish in the second half sealed the win. His teammates mobbed him. It was the kind of moment that can flip a player’s whole tournament.

England now turns to Tuesday’s game against Ghana. The group isn’t settled yet. But Tuchel has a captain who blocks shots in the 90th minute, a midfielder who thrives under pressure, and a forward who might have just found his confidence. That’s a decent place to start.