England will be bidding to end 60 years of hurt when they get their World Cup campaign under way this month. Thomas Tuchel will lead them into an international tournament for the first time, with the German having guided the Three Lions to the United States with a perfect record in qualifying.
England won all eight qualifiers, scoring 22 times and not conceding a single goal. Given their pedigree in recent tournaments, English fans will be hoping they can finally get over the line after a series of near-misses under Gareth Southgate.
Having been at their lowest ebb 10 years ago after Iceland dumped them out of Euro 2016, England went on to reach the World Cup semi-final in 2018, following that up with a quarter-final place in Qatar four years later. That was combined with back-to-back appearances in European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024.
However, Southgate could not quite get the Three Lions over the line, with the Football Association turning to former Chelsea boss Tuchel instead. The conditions in Canada, Mexico and the United States could derail that bid, given how hot it is expected to be over the next few weeks.
With all that in mind, here are all the details you need to know about England's group stage matches.
When are England's World Cup games?
- Wednesday, June 17: England vs Croatia (9:00pm BST) - ITV1
- Tuesday, June 23: England vs Ghana (9:00pm BST) - BBC One
- Saturday, June 27: Panama vs England (10:00pm BST) - ITV1
England get their campaign under way in Group L against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17. That meeting in Dallas will provide the Three Lions with a chance of revenge, having been beaten by Croatia in the 2018 semi-finals.
It is then followed up by a first-ever competitive match against Ghana in Boston. The two sides have previously met once before, in a 2011 Wembley friendly when Andy Carroll was denied a winner after Asamoah Gyan levelled the scores in stoppage time.
Their group stage will then finish with a repeat of another fixture from the 2018 World Cup, when they play Panama at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Their last meeting saw Harry Kane score three times in a 6-1 win eight years ago.
