England will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas, as Thomas Tuchel's side aim for glory in North America. The Three Lions enter the 48-team tournament as favourites after an unbeaten qualifying campaign and a prolific season from captain Harry Kane.
England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the group stages, seeking a deeper run after finishing runners-up at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. They notably faced Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, and their opening opponents, still led by 40-year-old midfielder Luka Modric, have an excellent recent record at major tournaments.
Tuchel's team won their final warm-up fixture against Costa Rica the night before the World Cup kicked off. England will be one of the last teams to start their campaign, almost a week after the opening match.
England play Croatia on Wednesday 17 June at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Kick-off is 4pm local time (9pm BST), broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX. The full group schedule is: June 17 – England v Croatia, June 23 – England v Ghana, June 27 – England v Panama.
