Can England Overcome Croatia in Their World Cup Group L Opener?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - England will begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Croatia in a Group L clash at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The match marks the first major tournament test for head coach Thomas Tuchel, who has been tasked with ending England's six-decade wait for a second World Cup title.

England's only World Cup triumph came in 1966, and despite several deep runs in recent tournaments, the Three Lions have yet to reclaim football's biggest prize.

England heads into the tournament with an impressive qualifying record. Tuchel's side became the first European nation to secure a place at the World Cup after winning all eight of their qualifying matches. They also completed the campaign without conceding a single goal.

However, England's preparations were not entirely convincing. The team failed to defeat Uruguay and Japan in friendlies last March, with the loss to Japan marking England's first-ever defeat to an Asian opponent.

Confidence was restored, however, with a convincing victory over Costa Rica in their final warm-up match before the World Cup. According to Sports Mole, England has also traditionally performed well in World Cup openers. Across the last eight editions of the tournament, the Three Lions have suffered only one opening-match defeat—a 2-1 loss to Italy in 2014—while recording four wins and three draws.

Croatia Looking to Defy the Odds Again

Croatia arrives at the tournament as an experienced outsider with a proven record on the international stage. The Vatreni reached the World Cup final in 2018, finished third in 2022, and were runners-up in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League.

The team, however, is seeking redemption after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, where Zlatko Dalic's side exited in the group stage without registering a victory.

While Croatia's celebrated golden generation is approaching the latter stages of its career, the team remains highly competitive. Croatia dropped just two points throughout qualifying and comfortably finished atop its group.

Preparation for the World Cup was not entirely smooth. Croatia suffered defeats to Brazil and Belgium in friendly matches before defeating Slovenia 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Mario Pasalic.

Meetings between England and Croatia have often produced memorable moments. The most notable came in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, when Croatia rallied to defeat England 2-1 after extra time, with Mario Mandzukic scoring the decisive goal to send Croatia to its first World Cup final.

Team News

England has relatively few injury concerns heading into the Group L opener. However, Bukayo Saka remains a fitness doubt and is still being monitored by the coaching staff.

Should the Arsenal winger fail to recover in time, Noni Madueke is expected to start on the right flank. Anthony Gordon is also pushing for a place in the starting lineup alongside captain Harry Kane.

Jude Bellingham is expected to operate as England's attacking midfielder, while competition remains intense in defense. Ezri Konsa, John Stones, and Marc Guehi are all competing for starting roles in front of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Croatia, meanwhile, enters the match with a fully fit squad. Veteran stars Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic continue to play central roles despite advancing in age, while Andrej Kramaric remains one of the team's key attacking threats.

Petar Musa is reportedly in contention for a starting berth following a productive season with FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. In defense, Croatia is expected to deploy young center-back Luka Vuskovic alongside Josko Gvardiol as part of a three-man backline.

Head-to-Head

According to Sportskeeda, England holds the advantage in the all-time series, winning six of 11 meetings between the two nations. Croatia has won three times, while two matches ended in draws.

Their most recent encounter came at Euro 2020, where England secured a 1-0 victory in the group stage thanks to a goal from Raheem Sterling.

England has appeared in 17 World Cup tournaments and won the competition once, in 1966. The two teams are also set to meet later this year in the UEFA Nations League, with matches scheduled for October and November.

Predicted Lineups

England (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Reece James, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice; Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane.

Croatia (3-4-2-1): Dominik Livakovic; Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol; Josip Stanisic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic; Petar Sucic, Martin Baturina; Petar Musa.

Prediction

On paper, England possesses greater squad depth and more evenly distributed quality across the pitch. Croatia, however, has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to exceed expectations in major tournaments.

While England enters the match as the slight favorite, Croatia's experience and resilience on the World Cup stage could make for a closely contested encounter in Arlington.

Read: World Cup 2026: Messi Hat-Trick Powers Argentina to 3-0 Win Over Algeria

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