If football can finally "come home" to England, that journey will begin on the other side of the globe, when Thomas Tuchel's team kicks off their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group L with a clash against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (USA) on the morning of June 18th (Vietnam time).
The Three Lions' first opponent in North America is also a team that has frequently finished as runners-up in recent major tournaments, although they have often exceeded expectations to claim the top spot.
The England team has consistently finished second in recent major tournaments (Photo: Getty).
The last time England won the World Cup wasn't in 1966. England's U17 and U20 teams conquered the world in the summer of 2017, but only a title at the senior national team level could end 60 years of agonizing waiting for fans in the UK.
If the World Cup were awarded based on qualifying performance, England would probably already be preparing for celebrations. They became the first UEFA team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup thanks to a perfect record of eight wins and eight clean sheets in the qualifying rounds.
However, signs of instability began to emerge in Thomas Tuchel's plans when England failed to beat Uruguay and Japan in their March friendlies. The defeat against Japan was even the first time in history they had lost to an Asian team. Furthermore, Harry Kane's crucial role in rescuing the team against New Zealand did little to reassure the fans.
Nevertheless, with a nearly full-strength squad, England easily overcame Costa Rica in their final friendly before the tournament. The "Three Lions" have also only lost one of their last eight World Cup opening matches, that being a 1-2 defeat against Italy in 2014.
In that series of matches, the 1966 World Cup champions secured four wins and three draws, and also won their two most recent opening matches against Tunisia and Iran. However, World Cup history is not entirely on the side of the white-shirted team.
Croatian players prepare for their opening match at the 2026 World Cup (Photo: Getty).
Although not considered among the top contenders for the championship, Croatia has consistently demonstrated its strength in major tournaments. They won a silver medal at the 2018 World Cup, a bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup, and finished second in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League.
However, Zlatko Dalic's team still has much to prove after a forgettable Euro 2024 campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stage without winning a single match, their worst performance at a major tournament since the 2006 World Cup.
Despite Croatia's golden generation being past their prime, they had a near-perfect qualifying campaign, dropping only 2 points in 8 matches to easily top Group L.
Croatia also didn't have an ideal preparation process, having lost to Brazil and Belgium in pre-tournament friendlies. However, they still secured a 2-1 victory against Slovenia thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Mario Pasalic.
On the other hand, a late goal once brought about the most glorious night in Croatian football history, when Mario Mandzukic scored in the 109th minute of the 2018 World Cup semi-final to send his team to the final, eliminating England in the process.
Force information
The England team trains ahead of the 2026 World Cup (Photo: Getty).
Thomas Tuchel currently has no serious personnel issues ahead of the opening match. However, Bukayo Saka's availability remains uncertain as the Arsenal star is reportedly not yet in top fitness.
If Saka doesn't recover in time, Noni Madueke could be given a chance on the right wing of the attack. Anthony Gordon is also likely to start in place of Marcus Rashford on the opposite flank.
In the attacking midfield position, Jude Bellingham is expected to be preferred over Morgan Rogers. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, and Marc Guehi will compete for the starting spot in front of Jordan Pickford.
On the Croatian side, coach Zlatko Dalic has his strongest squad available. Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic remain key players, having contributed a combined 26 goals and assists for PSV Eindhoven last season.
Andrej Kramaric also had a productive season with Hoffenheim, but many local sources suggest that Petar Musa – the Dallas striker with 12 goals in 13 MLS games in the 2026 season – could be the preferred choice to play as the furthest forward.
Tottenham Hotspur's young talent Luka Vuskovic, who once received a £30 million offer from Brighton, is expected to feature in the three-man central defense alongside Josko Gvardiol, who remains one of the most expensive central defenders in football history.
Expected starting lineup
UK: Pickford; James, Stones, Konsa, O'Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Croatia:Livakovic; Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Stanisic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic; Sucic, Baturina; Musa
Predicted score: England 2-1 Croatia
Although Croatia secured the most memorable victory in their head-to-head history, England have been unbeaten in the last three encounters between the two teams. Meanwhile, Croatia's defense enters the World Cup under question marks, having conceded in all six of their recent matches, letting in a total of 10 goals.
Zlatko Dalic's team could certainly cause a lot of difficulties, but with a superior squad and psychological advantage, England are considered capable of securing all three points in their opening match.