Thomas Tuchel's England will start their World Cup journey against Croatia in Dallas.
England vs Croatia Match Summary
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Competition |
World Cup 2026 |
|---|---|
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Match Date |
Wednesday 17 June 2026 |
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Match Time |
21:00 BST |
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Venue (City, Stadium) |
Arlington, Dallas Stadium |
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Broadcast (TV / Streaming / Radio / Bookmaker Streaming) |
ITV 1, RTE 2 |
England open their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia in a heavyweight Group L clash at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday evening.
England arrive in blistering form, having won all eight qualifying matches without conceding a single goal. Harry Kane spearheaded that charge with 14 goals.
Croatia stormed through their own qualifying group with seven wins and a draw, conceding just four goals in eight outings under the guidance of Zlatko Dalić.
The sides have met six times in senior competition, with England winning four, including at Euro 2020. Croatia famously prevailed in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
England vs Croatia Form
England's recent run is nothing short of remarkable. Ten consecutive wins across all opponents tells its own story, and the clean sheet record throughout qualifying underlines a stubborn defensive setup. Kane has been the standout, while Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon have provided cutting edge in wide areas.
Croatia have won eight of their last ten fixtures, with their only blemishes a goalless draw against Czechia and a defeat to France. Andrej Kramarić led the scoring charts in qualifying with six goals, while Ivan Perišić chipped in with four goals and four assists. They remain a side packed with tournament pedigree.
England vs Croatia Lineups & Team News
Injuries & Suspensions
England: No injuries or suspensions reported.
Croatia: No injuries or suspensions reported.
England
The selection dilemmas for England centre on centre back, the left wing and the No.10 role. Anthony Gordon's performance against Costa Rica could see him get the nod over Marcus Rashford, while Jude Bellingham looks set to start behind Harry Kane. John Stones started both warm-up fixtures, and it is a toss-up between Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa as to who partners him.
Croatia
Croatia are expected to field a familiar starting eleven. Mateo Kovačić and 40-year-old Luka Modrić, playing at his last major tournament, will make up the midfield pair. Ivan Perišić is likely to get the nod on the left flank. Spurs youngster Luka Vušković is set to be rewarded for his fine season on loan at Hamburg by making his tournament debut in defence.
England vs Croatia Predicted Lineup
England
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: J. Pickford; R. James, J. Stones, M. Guéhi, N. O'Reilly; D. Rice, E. Anderson; B. Saka, J. Bellingham, A. Gordon; H. Kane
Croatia
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: D. Livaković; J. Stanišić, J. Šutalo, L. Vušković, J. Gvardiol; L. Modrić, M. Kovačić; M. Baturina, A. Kramarić, I. Perišić; A. Budimir
England vs Croatia Key Stats & Match Facts
- England have won their last three home matches against Croatia in all competitions.
- In six previous senior meetings, England have won four, with Croatia winning once and one draw.
- England won all ten of their last competitive fixtures, scoring in every single match.
- Croatia dropped just two points across their entire qualifying campaign, conceding only four goals in eight matches.
- England are heavily favoured for this fixture, with their attacking output and defensive record giving them a clear edge on recent form.
England vs Croatia Prediction & Best Bets
The Three Lions have been devastating in recent outings and their defensive record is watertight. Croatia have quality in midfield, but England's pace and firepower across the front line make them strong favourites to begin the tournament with a comfortable victory.
Match prediction: England 2-0 Croatia
Best Bets
England to win at 3/4 (Unibet). England have won all ten of their last competitive fixtures and that run of form makes them the clear pick here. Croatia have only beaten England once in six meetings, and that was back in 2018.
Over 1.5 Goals at 2/5 (QuinnBet). England have scored two or more in the vast majority of their recent outings, and clearing the 1.5-goal line looks a strong proposition given how freely the Three Lions have been scoring.
England vs Croatia Bet Builder
Our four-leg bet builder backs England to win with Harry Kane scoring, over 1.5 home goals, and Jude Bellingham to register a shot on target.
Harry Kane is the obvious anytime goalscorer pick. He has found the net in seven of his last nine outings and carries a strong likelihood of scoring here based on his recent output.
England to win looks a solid foundation for the bet builder. They have won all ten of their last competitive matches and head into this fixture as clear favourites on current form.
Over 1.5 total home goals has landed in five of England's last five fixtures. With their scoring record in qualifying, this leg has strong backing.
Jude Bellingham over 0.5 shots on target rounds off the selection. Jude Bellingham continues to be one of England's biggest attacking threats from midfield, regularly making late runs into the penalty area and finding shooting opportunities in dangerous positions. The Real Madrid star will be desperate to make his mark with England in the World Cup after last time's disappointment.
At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 13/2 and is as short as 9/2 elsewhere. That's a difference in potential winnings of £20 from best to worst price.
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Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.
