England take on Croatia as Thomas Tuchel's men open their World Cup 2026 account today. The Three Lions begin Group L as favourites to win it, but they know that they will need to be at their best to defeat their familiar foes.
Historic Rivalry
Croatia defeated England in the semi-finals in Russia eight years ago, with Mario Mandzukic plunging a dagger into the heart of England fans everywhere with his extra-time winner in 2018. Since then, the Three Lions have bested their rivals twice more, in the UEFA Nations League later in 2018, and then at the European Championships in 2021, where Raheem Sterling notched the only goal of the game.
England's Ambitions
Five years on, England will be hoping to go one better than they have done in the last two Euros tournaments, and win a first major tournament since 1966. They went out to France 2-1 in the quarter-finals in Qatar, but will be desperate to be crowned world champions this time around.
How to Watch England vs Croatia for FREE
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live and free-to-air on ITV1, with coverage starting at 8pm BST.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online through the ITVX app - which is free with a sign-up - or ITV website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport's live blog, with expert analysis from England correspondent Dom Smith at Dallas Stadium.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA's official YouTube channel and website, along with the ITVX app, ITV website, BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer.
