FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L preview: Will England finally bring the trophy home?

Group L will be the one to catch the attention of the fans as England look to bring the World Cup home. However, they face a big test in the form of Croatia and Ghana, who will be looking to spoil England’s party.

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 FULL REPORT

Panama will prove that there are no underdogs in the group and will set up some exciting clashes in the group. Thomas Tuchel will face his first test as England boss, and he has done just that already faced team selection scrutiny which he did. Croatia have always punched above their weight and this year will be no different.

Ghana sacked their manager just 72 days before the start of the competition and will depend on their talent to get them over the line.

GROUP D: SCHEDULE

Ghana vs Panama – June 17

England vs Croatia — June 17

England vs Ghana – 23 June

Panama vs Croatia — June 23

Panama vs England – June 27

Croatia vs Ghana — June 27

GROUP D: SQUADS

England (Best placed: 1966 winners)

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, John Stones, Marc Guhi, Dan Burn, Nico O’Reilly, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze

Forwards: Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke

Manager: Thomas Tuchel

Croatia (Best place: 2018 runners-up)

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovič, Dominik Kotarski, Ivor Pandur

Defenders: Josko Gvardiol, Duje Caleta Car, Josip Sutalo, Josip Stanisic, Marin Pongracic, Martin Erlic, Luka Vuskovic

Midfielders: Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Luka Sucic, Martin Baturina, Kristijan Jakic, Petar Sucic, Nikola Moro, Toni Fruk

Forwards: Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Marco Pasalic, Petar Musa, Igor Matanovic

Manager: Zlatko Dalic

Ghana (Best place: 2010 quarter)

Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Joseph Anang

Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman, Gideon Mensah, Marvin Senaya, Alidu Seidu, Abdul Mumin, Jerome Opoku, Jonas Adjetey, Kojo Oppong Peprah, Derrick Luckassen

Midfielders: Elisha Owusu, Thomas Partey, Kwasi Sibo, Augustine Boakye, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Fatou Issahaku

Forwards: Kamal Deen Sulemana, Christopher Bonsu Baah, Ernest Nuamah, Antoine Semenyo, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Prince Kwabena Adu, Iaki Williams, Jordan Ayew

Manager: Carlos Queiroz

Panama (Best Placement: Group Stage)

Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Luis Meja, Csar Samudio

Defenders: Csar Blackman, Jorge Gutirrez, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Andrs Andrade, Edgardo Faria, Jos Córdoba, ric Davis, Jiovany Ramos, Roderick Miller

Midfielders: Anbal Godoy, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Carlos Harvey, Cristian Martínez, Jos Luis Rodríguez, Csar Yanis, Yoel Brcenas, Alberto Quintero, Azarias Londoo

Forwards: Ismael Daz, Cecilio Waterman, José Fajardo, Toms Rodrguez

Manager: Thomas Christiansen

GROUP L: MEET THE TEAMS

Ah, England. The Three Lions is a classic case of having all the talent in the world and not showing up at the big tournament. Since winning the World Cup in 1966, they have finished fourth twice, once in 1990 and 2018. During that time they have seen the likes of Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard play for them without much success.

The talent is there again this year to go deep for the title, but the question is, can they do it? Tuchel has already made himself a divisive figure by not taking enough creative talent to the tournament and disdaining Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw among others.

Croatia have produced several major upsets over the past two campaigns, including wins against England in 2018 and Brazil in 2022.

Their hero will be Luka Modric, who will try to cap off his brilliant career at a high level. Croatia secured their place at the World Cup without tasting defeat, collecting seven wins and a draw during their qualifying campaign. After comfortably navigating the process, Zlatko Dalic’s team will arrive in North America with the belief that they can challenge some of the tournament’s bigger names.

Since their memorable run in 2010, Ghana have struggled to repeat that feat on the world stage, suffering first-round exits in 2014 and 2022 and missing the tournament altogether in 2018.

Despite concerns elsewhere in the team, Ghana have some dangerous attacking options. Antoine Semenyo, Iaki Williams, Kamaldeen Sulemana and captain Jordan Ayew provide plenty of firepower, while Thomas Partey remains a key figure in midfield. However, defensive vulnerabilities and a lack of quality beyond the starting XI could prove problematic over the course of the tournament.

Panama are making only their second World Cup return and are eager to make a stronger impression after a difficult debut in 2018, where they finished bottom of their group and suffered a heavy defeat to England. Rematch with the Three Lions offers a chance to rewrite this chapter.

Under Thomas Christiansen, Panama developed into a disciplined and competitive side. They reached the final of the 2023 Gold Cup, finished second in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League and went through World Cup qualification undefeated.

GROUP L: GROUP MATCH

There is no doubt that the tie for the group will be England vs Croatia, which will be played on 17th June. The Three Lions lost to Croatia in the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup in extra time and will be looking for revenge.

The result of the game will be decisive in determining who could potentially finish top of the group. England hold a 5-3 lead in their personal best and will be hoping to get a win to kick off their campaign.

GROUP L: PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Harry Kane

It could basically be Harry Kane or bust for England in terms of goals. The Three Lions captain will enter the World Cup in incredible form, scoring 61 goals in all competitions in 51 games for Bayern Munich. He won the Golden Boot in 2018 and will keep his team’s hopes up this year as well.

Kane will also be looking for some personal redemption after firing a penalty over the bar against France as they lost the match 2-1 and exited the tournament.

Luka Modric

Luka Modric will go down as one of the best midfielders of his generation and continues to show that age is just a number. He played a total of 2,816 minutes for AC Milan this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists.

Modric has been an inspiration for Croatia at the last two World Cups and will be looking to end his career with another sensational run at the tournament.

Antoine Semenyo

Antoine Semenyo emerged as one of the Premier League’s standout players during the 2025/26 campaign, first impressing with Bournemouth before elevating his game further following a January move to Manchester City.

The Ghanaian international enjoyed a remarkable season and was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award after netting 17 league goals during his time at both clubs. He also created the defining moment in City’s FA Cup triumph, scoring against Chelsea in the final with a daring back-heel finish.

Adalberto Carrasquilla

At the heart of Panama’s lineup is 27-year-old Adalberto Carrasquilla, a midfielder who has steadily built a reputation as one of the region’s most influential creative forces. After excelling with Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer, Carrasquilla secured a move to Pumas UNAM in Mexico’s Liga MX.

Widely regarded as the driving force behind Panama’s attack, he dictates the pace from midfield and has the creativity to unlock defenses with a single pass.

GROUP L: PREDICTION

1. England
2. Croatia
3. Ghana
4. Panama

– The end

Published on:

June 6, 2026 4:01 PM IST