2026 World Cup: Group L: England vs Croatia (Jun 17)
England’s 2026 World Cup campaign get’s underway as they take on Croatia in Dallas.
In a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, England will be hoping to get the better of Croatia eight years on.
Odds
| Match Result | Odds |
| England | 4/5 |
| Croatia | 13/3 |
| Draw | 11/4 |
England are favourites for this game but if you pick the best betting websites, Croatia might be worth a punt for you to win big on this game.
Head-To-Head
| Total | England | Croatia | Draw | |
| Games | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Goals | 13 | 8 | 5 |
England and Croatia have faced off in competitive games several times of the years, with England having the better luck apart from when it matters most.
The last time the two nations met, it was England who won, beating Croatia in their Euro qualifying group in 2021.
Croatia last beat England in 2018, where they booked their place in the World Cup final, only to lose to France.
Key Stats
- England won all eight of their World Cup qualifying games.
- Croatia haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last six fixtures.
- England beat Costa Rica 3-0 in their last warm-up game before they face Croatia.
- Croatia won the only other previous meeting between the two teams at a World Cup.
England Team News
England are hoping to have a full squad available for their opening game, but Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka could be a last-minute decision as he nurses an injury.
Possible Lineup
Jordan Pickford (GK), Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Reece James, Elliott Anderson, Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Noni Madueke, Harry Kane
Croatia Team News
Croatia is expected to have a fully fit squad to face England on Wednesday night.
Possible Lineup
Dominik Livkovic (GK), Josip Stanisic, Martin Erlic, Marin Pongracic, Josko Gvardiol, Luca Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marco Pasalic, Andrej Kramaric, Ivan Peresic, Ante Budimir
England vs Croatia Picks
This game will be more difficult for England than most believe. All the pressure is on the Three Lions whilst most think Croatia are too old. Despite this, Croatia remains a strong side and one that will cause England lots of problems.
With that in mind, I’m taking this one to finish as a draw.
Other markets include Harry Kane to score and assist, Luca Modric to score from outside of the box and Jude Bellingham tot have two or more shots on target.
