England and Croatia kick off World Cup 2026 with Group L showdown in Dallas

A high-stakes start in Group L

England and Croatia kick off their World Cup 2026 campaigns on Wednesday evening in Arlington, Texas. The match at the AT&T Stadium is the first between European sides at this tournament and sets the tone in a group that also includes Ghana and Panama. Kick-off is 22:00 CEST, with French referee Clément Turpin in charge.

Lineups and tactical shape

Thomas Tuchel has named a side built around captain Harry Kane, who scored 64 goals last season. The midfield features Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham, while Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke flank Kane in attack. Croatia lines up with 40-year-old Luka Modric anchoring the midfield alongside Mario Pasalic, Martin Baturina and Luka Sucic. Petar Musa leads the line.

Pre-tournament form

England swept through qualifying with eight wins and no goals conceded, then beat New Zealand 1-0 and Costa Rica 3-0 in June friendlies. Earlier setbacks in March (a 1-1 draw with Uruguay and a 1-0 loss to Japan) have been put aside. Croatia’s build-up has been more uneven: losses to Brazil (3-1) and Belgium (2-0) were followed by a 2-1 victory over Slovenia just before departing for North America.

The 2018 semifinal shadow

The last World Cup meeting between these sides was the 2018 semifinal in Moscow, where Croatia overturned an early England lead to win 2-1 after extra time and reach the final. Since then, England exited the quarter-finals in 2022 to France, while Croatia finished third after losing to Argentina in the last four. This marks Modric’s final World Cup; England want to erase the painful memory.

Broadcast and the road ahead

Fans in France can watch live on beIN Sports 1 and M6, while in Germany ZDF is showing the match free-to-air. The group schedule continues with England facing Ghana in Boston on 23 June and Panama in New Jersey on 27 June; Croatia plays Panama in Toronto on 24 June and Ghana in Philadelphia on 27 June.