England vs Croatia 
The pick
Win, draw, and loss probabilities and expected goals are from our team-strength model. Public consensus from 1 source: Dimers (model).
Head to head
Expected shapes: England 4-2-3-1, Croatia 4-3-3.
England England CroatiaKey players to watch
England England England CroatiaProjected XIs
Most-likely starting elevens based on recent selections.
England- 1J Pickford
- 2B White
- 3E Konsa
- 4M Guehi
- 5N O'Reilly
- 6E Anderson
- 7K Mainoo
- 8M Rogers
- 9C Palmer
- 10A Gordon
- 11P Foden
Croatia- 1D Livakovic
- 2J Stanisic
- 3J Sutalo
- 4L Vuskovic
- 5D Caleta-Car
- 6I Perisic
- 7A Kramaric
- 8L Modric
- 9P Sucic
- 10M Baturina
- 11A Budimir
Storylines
World Cup 2026: Group L Predictions and Preview
England (third likeliest of any team to top their group, 67.5%) open against Croatia in a clash that may decide first place; Harry Kane chases Gary Lineker's England World Cup goal record while 40-year-old Luka Modric leads Croatia's veteran core.
World Cup 2026 Group L guide: Kane in prolific form, Croatia hero Modric set for swansong
Group L guide framing England as title contenders behind a prolific Harry Kane and casting the tournament as 40-year-old Luka Modric's expected final World Cup farewell.
Player ratings are EA Sports FC 26 attributes, used here as a consistent, public proxy for player quality. Squad-level comparisons cover the players we could rate; coverage varies by team.