Now that we have had 30 years of “It’s coming home…”, plus 60 years of suffering, perhaps we can conclude that Three Lionsalthough a great anthem, didn’t really help England’s World Cup cause.
What began as an ironic boast has since morphed into a curse, a living, mourning tally of near misses and disasters measured in failures, while somehow raising expectations beyond all reason.
After eight years of unprecedented progress and heartbreak under Gareth Southgate, Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel was brought in with one goal: World Cup glory.
The succession has not been the smoothest, with Tuchel publicly clashing with several players, including Jude Bellingham, while keeping his cards close to his chest by fielding experimental formations almost throughout his tenure, and making a multitude of selections and omissions from the shock squad. Cole Palmer and Adam Wharton, anyone?
By now, England fans surely know not to get carried away…
Again, on paper, this is one of the strongest teams in North America. Harry Kane is arguably the best striker on the planet, competition is fierce for places and many players now have huge tournament experience to draw on.
Here’s our complete (and quick) guide to England at the 2026 World Cup.
Who are England’s opponents at the World Cup?
England are in Group L, alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana.
Croatia, ranked No. 11 in the world by FIFA, are on paper England’s best opponent in the group. The Vatreni memorably beat the Three Lions in extra time in their 2018 World Cup semi-final, thanks to a goal from Mario Mandzukic in the 109th minute. However, with Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic now aged 40 and 37 respectively, an aging squad in the brutal North American heat could worry head coach Zlatko Dalic.
Panama were beaten 6-1 by England in their only previous World Cup appearance eight years ago, but under former Leeds manager Thomas Christiansen, they reached the final of the 2023 Gold Cup, the last eight of the 2024 Copa America and the final of the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League. Ranked 34th, Los Canaleros have also taken their World Cup preparations further seriously than most, with three straight games over the past month.
Despite failing to qualify for the 2025/26 AFCON, 73rd-ranked Ghana reached the World Cup in part thanks to one of the easier qualifying routes. The Black Stars have failed to win any of their six matches since – with an aggregate record of 13-3 – and sacked Otto Addo just weeks before the World Cup. His replacement is Carlos Queiroz, Alex Ferguson’s former assistant at Man Utd, who will appear at a fifth consecutive World Cup after previous stints with Portugal and Iran. Antoine Semenyo was one of the best players in the Premier League last season.
When is England in the World Cup?
(All times BST)
Wednesday June 17
9 p.m. – England vs Croatia | ITVX, SBS on demand, RTÉ player
Tuesday June 23
9 p.m. – England vs Ghana | BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player
Saturday June 27
10 p.m. – England vs Panama | ITVX, SBS on demand, RTÉ player
Are England World Cup favorites?
Spain and France are widely considered the favorites for the 2026 World Cup, but England’s chances also look very good.
They are currently ranked fourth by FIFA, behind World Cup winners Spain, France and Argentina, and above big names like Portugal, Brazil and Germany.
What is England’s potential route to the World Cup final?
In short, it’s complicated.
If England win Group L, they would face a third from Group E, H, I, J or K in the round of 16, with the most likely candidates being Ivory Coast (E), Ecuador (E), Uruguay (H), Saudi Arabia (H), Norway (I), Senegal (I), Austria (J), Algeria (J), Colombia (K) and DR Congo (K).
Advance to the round of 16 and they will meet the winner of Group A or a third-place finisher from Group C, E, F, H or I. Mexico are the favorites in Group A, while Scotland (C), Ecuador (E), Japan (F), Saudi Arabia (H) and Senegal (I) look the most likely thirds.
From this point on, the possibilities are almost endless, but Brazil could be England’s opponent in the quarter-finals, followed by Argentina or Portugal in the semi-final, and France or Spain in the final.
Who is in the England team?
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Man City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Man City), Marc Guehi (Man City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Man City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)
Midfield: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Advantages: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
What is England’s predicted line-up?
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Nico O’Reilly
Midfield: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham
Advantages: Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane (c)
What is England’s World Cup record?
Prior to the 2026 World Cup, England had won 32 of their 74 World Cup matches, lost 20 and drawn the other 22.
They have won the tournament once, at home, in 1966.
They recorded their best performances in the 1990 and 2018 editions, where they reached the semi-finals both times.
They failed to qualify for the 1974, 1978 and 1994 World Cups and only participated in the 1950 edition.
Who is the England manager?
Thomas Tuchel, former coach of Augsburg, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, took over from Gareth Southgate as England manager in October 2024. He started work on January 1, 2025.
The German initially agreed to an 18-month deal that would have ended with the 2026 World Cup, but in February 2026 he signed a surprise two-year extension until Euro 2028.
Can you watch England’s World Cup matches for free?
All England matches – as well as the entire World Cup – are streamed for free in the UK, Ireland and Australia:
Wednesday June 17
9 p.m. – England vs Croatia | ITVX, SBS on demand, RTÉ player
Tuesday June 23
9 p.m. – England vs Ghana | BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player
Saturday June 27
10 p.m. – Panama vs England | ITVX, SBS on demand, RTÉ player
(All times BST)
Use a VPN to Watch 2026 World Cup Live Streams
If you’re traveling, you may find that your usual World Cup stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.
Don’t worry, this is exactly where a VPN can help you. A Virtual Private Network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were at home.
We recommend NortonVPN. Here’s why:
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Access a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid pirated content is not endorsed or endorsed by Future Publishing.
