England vs Croatia: 2026 World Cup Group L Match Preview

England faces Croatia in their 2026 World Cup Group L opener at AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday. England, led by captain Harry Kane, who has arrived in top form after winning his second Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich, is genuine contenders for the title. Kane urged his team to "go for it" and be "free in the mind" as they launch their campaign.

England coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the high expectations but cautioned against being delusional. Croatia, meanwhile, warned about Kane’s goal-scoring ability and will rely on veteran captain Luka Modric, who is set for his fifth and possibly final World Cup. Modric, at 40, remains crucial to Croatia’s hopes.

The two teams have met 11 times before, with England winning six matches. Their last World Cup encounter was in the 2018 semifinals, which Croatia won 2-1. England defender Tino Livramento was ruled out due to injury and replaced by Trevoh Chalobah. Croatia has no major injury concerns.

Stats provider Opta gives England a 55.9% chance of winning, with Croatia at 20.8%. The match kicks off at 9pm BST in the UK, shown on ITV, and at 10pm in Croatia on HRT. In the US, it will be on FOX and Peacock.

England Predicted XI: Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Croatia Predicted XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Pasalic, Kramaric, Perisic; Budimir