England are the headline act in Group L as Thomas Tuchel’s side go in seach of World Cup glory for the first time since 1966 and come up against Croatia, Ghana and Panama for a place in the knockout round.
The Three Lions breezed through qualifying with a 100% record but were rarely tested and will face much stiffer opposition at the finals.
Croatia reached the final in 2018, finished third in 2022 and have plenty of talent in their squad with 40-year-old Luka Modric taking his place alongside experienced stars such as Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic and Andrej Kramaric as well as exciting youngster Luka Vuskovic.
Ghana may also prove to be tricky opponents. The Black Stars parted company with manager Otto Addo just 72 days before the start of the World Cup but have star quality in their squad with Manchester City star Antoine Semenyo expected to lead the charge.
The whipping boys of the group look likely to be Panama who have qualified for the World Cup for just the second time. Los Canaleros have established themselves as the top Central American team but it will be a surprise if they make it out of the group.
Indeed Harry Kane and England may relish facing Panama again. The Three Lions’ biggest-ever win at a World Cup came against Panama in a 6-1 victory in 2018, with Kane bagging a hat-trick.
Group L Fixtures in full and how to watch
Ghana vs Panama – June 17 - 7 p.m. ET from Toronto (BMO Field)
England vs Croatia – June 17 - 7 p.m. ET from Dallas (AT&T Stadium)
England vs Ghana – June 23 - 4pm ET from Boston (Gillette Stadium)
Panama vs Croatia – June 23 7 p.m. ET from Toronto (BMO Field)
Panama vs England – June 27 - 5 p.m. ET from New Jersey (MetLife Stadium)
Croatia vs Ghana – June 27 - 5 p.m. ET from Philadephia (Lincoln Financial Field)
The World Cup will be broadcast live in the United States on Fox Sports (Fox and FS1). Games can also be streamed live on FIFA’s website FIFA+.
Game of the group
England’s first game looks to be their toughest as they open up against Croatia. The two teams met previously in the semi-finals in 2018, with Croatia progressing thanks to an extra-time winner from Mario Mandzukic.
Much has changed since then and England look to have the stronger squad, on paper at least. Captain Kane is expected to be in the race for the Golden Boot after a season where he’s scored an astonishing 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern. There’s also plenty of creativity with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Bukaya Saka around.
Modric will once again carry Croatia’s hopes on his shoulders in what will be his fifth World Cup. Yet at the grand old age of 40, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner may not have the same impact as old.
Group L prediction
England and Croatia look set to battle it out for top spot in Group L, although Ghana may well have a say if new manager Carlos Queiroz can get his team firing after taking over before the tournament.
The winners of this group will play a third placed team (from Groups E, H, I , J or K) next, while the expanded nature of World Cup 2026 means that the eight best third-place teams will also qualify for the round of 32.
England’s hopes of a deep run into the tournament will be boosted if they do top the group. The Three Lions are one of four seeded teams at World Cup 2026, along with France, Spain and Argentina, meaning they can’t play one of the other seeds until the semi-finals, providing all four countries win their respective groups.
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