England and Croatia will be eager to kick-start their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns on a high when they clash at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday.
Matchday 1 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will conclude on Wednesday with four games. The action on the day will start with the match between Portugal and DR Congo before continuing with England vs Croatia at AT&T Stadium.
England reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup without breaking a sweat, as they won all eight games by scoring 22 goals and conceding none. However, since then, the Three Lions have blown hot and cold, winning only two of their four outings in 2026, starting the year with a two-match winless run against Uruguay and Japan.
The warm-up to the quadrennial event has been professional, as Thomas Tuchel’s charges have rediscovered their defensive solidity, beating New Zealand 1-0 before overcoming Costa Rica with a 3-0 victory. However, their preparations for the World Cup have been marred by theft, a tornado, and other unforeseen situations that have troubled England relentlessly.
Like England, Croatia secured automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup by topping Group L in the Qualifiers, winning seven games and dropping points only once (D1). However, they have won only two of their four matches this year and lost the first warm-up friendly 2-0 to Belgium before returning to winning ways against Slovenia with a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
The most recent match featuring England and Croatia came in the UEFA Euro 2020 Group D, with Raheem Sterling scoring the game’s only goal to earn three crucial points for the Three Lions. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
England
Thomas Tuchel has a significant fitness issue that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s opening fixture at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England’s head coach is sweating over Bukayo Saka’s availability going into the game vs Croatia.
The Arsenal winger has been struggling with a muscular issue that has kept him from training at full tilt. The 24-year-old may not be fit enough to feature from the get-go, giving Noni Madueke an opportunity to make his mark.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with England lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Croatia on Wednesday. The backline will feature Reece James, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, and Nico O’Reilly.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice in the double pivot, with Morgan Rogers reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Harry Kane will lead the line for the Three Lions against Croatia, with Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke being the two wide attackers. So, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham will be among the backup options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Stones, Konsa, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Rogers, Gordon; Kane
Croatia
Unlike his counterpart in the English dugout, Zlatko Dalic has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to AT&T Stadium. Croatia’s head coach has a full-strength squad for Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L opener.
Dominik Livakovic is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Croatia lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs England on Wednesday. The central defensive unit will feature Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, and Josko Gvardiol. Meanwhile, Josip Stanisic and Ivan Perisic will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Mateo Kovacic and former World Cup Golden Ball winner Luka Modric in the double pivot. Finally, Petar Musa will spearhead the Vatreni attack, with Petar Sucic and Martin Baturina completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Livakovic; Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Stanisic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic; Sucic, Baturina; Musa
Key Stats
- England and Croatia have previously locked horns 11 times, with the Three Lions dominating the head-to-head battle with six wins (D2 L3).
- The only meeting between England and Croatia at a FIFA World Cup came in the semi-final of the 2018 edition, with Vatreni coming back from a goal down to clinch a 2-1 win.
- England have lost only two of their last 17 matches across all competitions (D1 L2).
- Interestingly, England have kept a clean sheet in their 13 most recent wins, a remarkable defensive record.
- Croatia have won only one of their last three games, losing the other two by scoring just one goal.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
While Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, and Martin Baturina were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Harry Kane as the Player to Watch for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L clash between England and Croatia at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday.
Kane is the most dependable performer for England, and he is coming off an exceptional season at the club level with Bayern Munich. Additionally, the skipper has scored in seven of his last nine competitive appearances for England, illustrating his consistency for the Three Lions. So, the veteran striker will be the go-to player for England in the final third this week.
Prediction
England 2-0 Croatia
England and Croatia will enter Wednesday’s match at AT&T Stadium knowing the winner of this game will be highly likely to finish atop Group L and that a loss even puts them at risk of finishing as low as third. So, a closely contested affair is on the cards, and there may not be much to separate the two teams in the first half.
However, the gulf in quality will become clear when the substitutes start coming on, and that will inspire England to a crucial victory. Harry Kane will deliver the goods again for the Three Lions, and Marcus Rashford will make his mark off the bench. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Thomas Tuchel and his charges.