Jump To:FixturesSquadStandingsPredictionCopy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterEngland will be bidding to end 60 years of hurt when they get their World Cup campaign underway this month.The competition in North America will be coach Thomas Tuchel's first taste of a major international tournament, as the German looks to get the Three Lions over the hump following back-to-back European Championship final defeats, plus a World Cup semi-final defeat in 2018.The qualification campaign was a relative breeze, with Tuchel's side winning all eight of their matches, scoring 22 times and not conceeding a single goal.That should mean that England head across the pond confident of reaching the final stages of the competition.It was a familiar story of heartbreak last time out, as England were sent packing by France at the quarter-final stage after Harry Kane missed a late penalty. You may like England's World Cup 2026 squad in full: Thomas Tuchel's 26 men, notable omissions and predicted starting XI When is England's World Cup squad announced? How to watch England vs New Zealand for FREE: TV info Group C Fixtures and how to watchSwipe to scroll horizontallyDateRoundFixtureUK Kick-Off Time (BST)How to watchWednesday 17 JuneGroup StageEngland vs Croatia9:00pmLive on ITV1Tuesday 23 JuneGroup StageEngland vs Ghana9:00pmLive on BBC OneSaturday 27 JuneGroup StagePanama vs England10:00pmLive on ITV1England's opening match this summer will be a rematch of the 2018 semi-final against Croatia, with the Three Lions no doubt desperate to avenge that 2-1 extra-time defeat when they meet again in Dallas.That will be followed by a first-ever competitive match against Ghana in Boston, with the two sides only previously having met in a 2011 Wembley friendly, where an Andy Carroll goal was cancelled out by a stoppage-time goal from Asamoah Gyan.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.England's Group L campaign will then conclude with another team they faced at the 2018 World Cup, when they play Ghana at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A Harry Kane hat-trick helped the Three Lions ease to a 6-1 win when the two sides met eight years ago.England's final World Cup 2026 SquadGK: Jordan Pickford (Everton)GK: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)GK: James Trafford (Manchester City)DF: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)DF: Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)DF: John Stones (Manchester City)DF: Marc Guehi (Manchester City)DF: Tino Livramento (Newcastle United)DF: Dan Burn (Newcastle United)DF: Reece James (Chelsea)DF: Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)DF: Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)MF: Declan Rice (Arsenal)MF: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)MF: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)MF: Jordan Henderson (Brentford)MF: Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)MF: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)MF: Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)FW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)FW: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)FW: Marcus Rashford (Barcelona)FW: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United)FW: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)FW: Noni Madueke (Arsenal)FW: Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)Tuchel had his fair share of tough decisions to make in order to name his final squad.Harry Kane will have been the first name on the list following the England skipper's most prolific campaign of his career, while the Bayern Munich man will be joined by tournament veterans Jordan Pickford and John Stones, who are both heading to their fifth major competition. What to read next When is the England World Cup 2026 squad announced? Thomas Tuchel's divisive England World Cup 2026 squad is match-fit but short on fresh legs England World Cup 2026 warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica finally confirmed Jordan Henderson is back in the international picture and this will be his seventh major tournament with the Three Lions, but perhaps the more notable decisions are the players Tuchel has left at home.Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are the victims of Tuchel's plethora of options in the No.10 position, with in-form Morgan Gibbs-White also failing to make the cut,Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall miss out at full-back, while Harry Maguire has been left at home, too, at centre-back, along with Adam Wharton, Jarrod Bowen, Conor Gallagher, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah.Ivan Toney is the surprise pick among the forwards, while the likes Dan Burn, Noni Madueke, Jarrel Quansah and Tino Livramento, who all head to their first international tournaments.Group L StandingsFourFourTwo PredictionIf England were to fail to qualify from Group L, it would be an upset of epic proportions.While the opening match against Croatia will be a decent test, Tuchel's men will go off for that one as the bookies' favourites and a positive result there will put them in control of the group.Carlos Queiroz was parachuted into the Ghana job in April, after the Black Stars had missed Afcon for the first time since 2004. Only Curacao, Haiti and New Zealed and have a lower FIFA ranking than Ghana, who sit in 74th-place.Panama currently sit 34th in FIFA's rankings so may well be a tougher test than many would anticipate, but England should have far too much for them.FourFourTwo predicts a return of at least seven points for England, who can use the group to build momentum ahead of the knockouts.TOPICSWorld CupWorld Cup 2026Joe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
