
Englands seemingly never-ending quest to land the World Cup crown starts once again tomorrow night when they face Croatia in Arlington.The Three Lions reached the quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago, losing to then defending champions France, while they went one step further in Russia in 2018 before losing to Croatia in the last four.There has also been two European Championship final defeats in the last five years as silverware continues to elude them. Recommended offer Review Bet �10 Get �30 in Free Bets Get Offer 18+GambleAware.orgFor New Customers. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Thomas Tuchel has been drafted in to replace Gareth Southgate with the FA hoping his reputation as a winner at club level will translate to success on the international stage.Qualification for the World Cup was impressive with eight wins and eight clean sheets but some of the recent performances have left a little to be desired as Tuchel experimented to find the right combinations.The March international break brought a draw with Uruguay and a defeat to Japan while the warm-up games in Florida against New Zealand and Costa Rica were not without flaws.The two most recent matches have given an indication as to Tuchels thinking for the first game with the main surprise his apparent preference for a central defensive pairing of Ezri Konsa and the fit-again John Stones with Marc Guehi relegated to the bench.Stones had another injury-plagued season at Manchester City and admitted he even considered retirement in October.It was a difficult period when I said that [about retiring] and I hope I dont get to that again, Stones told BBC Sport.We can all compare ourselves to all the people or different players, different eras and think about how their journey was or how it could have been different and I am a culprit of that why are these things happening to me? It doesnt happen to other people.And I really had to dig deep and I am proud of myself for being so mentally strong throughout and coming out the other end of those scenarios or situations.I feel like one of my greatest achievements is to keep coming back from those setbacks, no matter how big they are and being on top form and going back into games and playing at such a high level.Croatia have a team full of experience, led by the evergreen Luka Modric.The 40-year-old enjoyed an impressive debut season at AC Milan and still possesses enough craft to trouble any defence.Croatia wont be lacking motivation with their leading sports newspaper Sports Novosti outlining the countrys dislike for the English and what they perceive to be the arrogant dismissal of a country that reached the semis in 2022 and the final in 2018.An editorial this morning read: There is no bigger match for Croatians than England. When they brag and overestimate themselves they think they are world champions the motivation jumps to the sky and the desire to win is greater than against anyone.History repeats itself and the Three Lions do not perceive Croatia as a team that finished second and third in the world, as well as making them cry in the semi-finals, but a team that is from the B rank of nations whose target is simply to reach the World Cup. Table of ContentsTeam news for England v CroatiaPredicted line-ups for England v CroatiaWhere to watch England v Croatia: TV and online streamsStats for England v CroatiaPrediction for England v CroatiaResponsible GamblingTeam news for England v CroatiaTino Livramento has withdrawn from the squad due to a calf injury and will return to Newcastle for treatment. Chelsea centre-half Trevoh Chalobah has been called up but wont be considered for this game. Jude Bellingham has reportedly won the battle with Morgan Rogers for the number 10 berth.Croatia have a fully fit squad with coach Zlatko Dalics main headache deciding whether to choose Petar Musa or Andrej Kramaric up front.Predicted line-ups for England v CroatiaEngland: Pickford; James, Konsa, Stones, OReilly; Rice, Anderson, Bellingham; Saka, Gordon, KaneCroatia: Livakovic; Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Stanisic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic; Sucic, Baturina; MusaWhere to watch England v Croatia: TV and online streamsEngland versus Croatia kicks off tomorrow night at 9pm UK time. You can watch it on ITV1 and stream via ITVX.ClickHEREfor a full World Cup TV guide Stats for England v CroatiaThis is Croatias seventh World Cup appearance. In their previous six participations, they were either eliminated in the group stage (three times) or reached the semi-finals (three times), including a run to the final in 2018.Croatia and France are the only teams to have reached the semi-finals in each of the last two World Cup editions.Croatia have won all four of their World Cup penalty shootouts; the joint-best record in the competitions history along with Germany.Luka Modri has completed more line-breaking passes across the last three World Cup tournaments than any other player the Croatian captain has broken the oppositions lines 199 times in 17 matches.England will be making their 17th World Cup appearance it also marks their eighth consecutive participation, the longest uninterrupted run in their history.Since winning their only World Cup in 1966, England have progressed past the quarter-finals on only two occasions: 1990 (4th place) and 2018 (4th place).England kept nine clean sheets in their 10 matches in 2025, including a shutout in each of their eight UEFA World Cup qualifiers, making them the only team not to concede in the UEFA qualifiers; Englands 2.1 xG against was also the best expected goals against total of all European teams.England have both won and kept a clean sheet in each of their last 10 competitive matches, becoming the second European nation to do so after Spain between October 2014 and June 2016.Prediction for England v CroatiaA tricky start for England but we fancy Thomas Tuchels men to edge past an ageing Croatia and get their World Cup campaign off to a solid start.Prediction: England 2-1 CroatiaResponsible GamblingGambling should always be approached as entertainment, not as a way to generate income. 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