England will play a familiar foe in Croatia at the 2026 World Cup as the 48-nation tournament was shaped in Friday’s draw in Washington, DC.
Croatia eliminated England from the 2018 World Cup in the semi-finals. Now they are in the first game of Group L in the 2026 tournament in a group that includes Panama and Ghana.
Thomas Tuchel’s side, one of the favorites to win next year’s competition, were drawn in Pot 1 alongside defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain before the draw.
If England win their group, they will not meet any of Argentina, Spain or France in the first leg until the semi-finals due to their high seeding – assuming those teams also win their groups.
The exact date of each match, venue and kick-off time will be confirmed at 5pm GMT on Saturday.
More to follow…
England World Cup games
June 17: England v Croatia | BMO Field, Toronto or AT&T Stadium, Arlington
June 23: England v Ghana | BMO Field, Toronto or Gillette Stadium, Foxboro
June 27: England v Panama | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
