England Kicks Off World Cup 2026 Against Croatia: Everything You Need to Know
England begins their World Cup campaign against Croatia tonight in Dallas. Under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, England cruised through qualification last year, securing eight wins out of eight. They enter the tournament ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings and are set to face Ghana and Panama in Group L. Having narrowly missed out on a major trophy since 1966 at Euro 2024, and following a heart-wrenching penalty shootout loss at Wembley, fans are eager to see if stars like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham can finally deliver. On the Croatian side, the legendary Luka Modric, at 40 years old, leads his team in what will be his fifth World Cup appearance. Croatia reached the semi-finals in Qatar, following a remarkable run to the final in Russia. Match Details: Date: Wednesday, 17 June Kick-off Time: 9pm BST (3pm CT) Venue: AT&T Stadium, Dallas How to Watch: Viewers in the UK can catch the match live on ITV 1, ITV X, STV, and STV Player, with coverage starting at 8pm BST. Live streaming is also available on ITVX. Team News: England: - Bukayo Saka is a doubt, with Noni Madueke on standby. - Trevoh Chalobah will miss this match but should return for the next. - All other squad members are fit, raising questions about Bellingham or Morgan Rodgers in the No 10 role and who starts at centre back among Guehi, Stones, and Konsa. Croatia: - Coach Zlatko Dalic has a fully fit squad available, including Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, both of whom have dealt with injuries this season. Predicted Line-ups: England XI: Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice, Bellingham; Gordon, Saka, Kane Croatia XI: Livakovic; Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Stanisic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic; Sucic, Baturina; Musa Latest Odds: England: 3/4 Draw: 14/5 Croatia: 22/5
Source: The Independent Sport - 2026-06-17