The wait is finally over for Thomas Tuchel England. The Three Lions begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign on Wednesday against familiar rivals Croatia in a Group L clash at the 94,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — a fixture that carries the weight of one of English football most painful memories.
The History That Haunts
July 11, 2018. Moscow Luzhniki Stadium. England led through a Kieran Trippier free-kick in the 5th minute and controlled large parts of the World Cup semi-final. Then Ivan Perisic equalised in the 68th minute, and Mario Mandzukic stabbed in the winner in the 109th. Croatia went to the final. England went home heartbroken.
England got a measure of revenge with a 1-0 group stage win at Euro 2020, but the tournament record between these sides remains tighter than the FIFA rankings suggest. England enter ranked 4th in the world, Croatia 11th.
Tuchel First World Cup Test
Thomas Tuchel has downplayed expectations, rejecting the label of tournament favourites despite England being among them. The German coach inherits a side accustomed to going deep at major tournaments — semi-finalists in 2018, finalists at Euro 2020, quarter-finalists in 2022 — and his challenge is to find that little bit extra that transforms them from nearly men to champions.
Key selection decisions await, including whether to start Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers in midfield. Harry Kane, with eight goals across the last two World Cups, will lead the line as captain.
Croatia Defensive Resilience
Zlatko Dalic side are unbeaten in World Cup group-stage matches across the last two tournaments (W4 D2), conceding only two goals during that run. They won seven of eight qualifying matches and remained unbeaten throughout the campaign. The Opta supercomputer gives Croatia a 77.2% chance of progressing from Group L, second only to England 95.6%.
| Key Match Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | June 17, 2026 |
| Kick-off | 4:00 PM ET / 9:00 PM BST |
| Venue | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
| Group | Group L |
| Opta Win Probability | England 55.9% / Draw 23.3% / Croatia 20.8% |
India Viewing
The match kicks off at 1:30 AM IST on Thursday, June 18, for Indian viewers. With England massive fan following in India — particularly in Kolkata and Kerala — the late-night kick-off is unlikely to deter millions of fans. World Cup 2026 viewership in India has already set new records during the group stage.
Sources: Opta Analyst, Racing Post, Sports Mole, CBS Sports, FIFA.com
.jpg)