England v Croatia: World Cup 2026 Group L preview

It’s the pick of the Group L openers: England face Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Kick-off is 9:00pm BST (3:00pm ET). Here’s the lowdown - and how to get your score prediction in before the whistle.

A rivalry with history

These two don’t need much introduction to each other. Croatia ended England’s run in the 2018 World Cup semi-final; England got a measure of revenge at Euro 2020. Thomas Tuchel’s England against Zlatko Dalić’s Croatia is a proper tournament opener - two sides that know how to navigate a long summer.

What to expect

• Midfield is the battleground. Croatia’s control versus England’s energy will likely decide the tempo.
• Openers are often cagey. First games in a group tend to be tight - nobody wants to lose the opener.
• Group L is wide open. With Ghana and Panama to come, a positive start matters for all four sides.

How to predict it

Tournament openers between well-matched sides rarely produce a hatful of goals - a tight 1-0, 2-1, or a 1-1 draw are all sensible calls. And remember, you don’t need the exact score to score points: a correct result still earns you 2 (see how scoring works).

Get your prediction in

Don’t just watch it - call it. Check the Group L table and fixtures, then start a free league for your team or join the global league and predict England v Croatia before kick-off.