England start their latest bid to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966 as they face Croatia in their Group L opener.Thomas Tuchels side face a familiar foe in Arlington, Texas, having lost to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals before beating them en route to reaching the Euro 2020 final.England have reached at least the quarter-final of each of their last four major tournaments since a last-16 exit at Euro 2016, with Tuchel looking to be the man to end their long wait for a title after the agony of another runners-up finish at Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate.Unlike England, Croatia are not expected to contend for the title, with this tournament likely to be the last hurrah on the major international stage for captain Luka Modric and vice captain Ivan Perisic.Still, Croatia represent dangerous opening opponents for England, and 101GreatGoals has the full team news from what should be a fascinating encounter. Table of ContentsEngland team newsCroatia team newsWhere to watch England v Croatia: TV and online streamsStats for England v CroatiaResponsible GamblingEngland team newsEngland: Pickford; James, Konsa, Stones, OReilly; Rice, Anderson, Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon, KaneEngland substitutes:Croatia team newsCroatia: Livakovic; Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Stanisic, Modric, Sucic, Perisic; Pasalic, Baturina; Musa.Croatia substitutes:Where 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 guideStats 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.Responsible GamblingGambling should always be approached as entertainment, not as a way to generate income. If you ever feel that gambling is becoming a problem, there are several organisations you can contact for free, confidential support.National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 8 am to midnight, 7 days a week)GamCare: www.gamcare.org.ukGambleAware: gambleaware.orgGamStop: www.gamstop.co.uk (free self-exclusion service)Tools available through bet365 include deposit limits, session time reminders, loss limits, self-exclusion and Reality Checks. These can be accessed via the Safer Gambling section of your account at any time. 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup Croatia National Football Team England National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read World Cup 2026: Neves heads home as Portugal make lightning start against DR Congo Nicholas McGee 17th June, 2026 World Cup 2026 live: Portugal vs DR Congo confirmed teams as Cristiano Ronaldos country start finals, full line ups, TV channel, live online stream and stats Nicholas McGee 17th June, 2026 Czechia v South Africa: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and preview, TV channel, live online stream and prediction Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full Portugal squad Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Emotional Lionel Messi talks Ronaldo and Mbappe: Im enjoying this Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Kylian Mbappe: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full France squad Ben Miller 17th June, 2026
