The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now less than four weeks away. Thomas Tuchel’s side have been placed in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, with all three group games taking place in the United States. Whether you are planning to be there in person, following from home, or considering hospitality packages for any of the fixtures, here is everything you need to know about England’s campaign.
England’s World Cup fixtures
England kick off their tournament against Croatia on Wednesday 17 June (9pm BST) at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. They then face Ghana on Tuesday 23 June (9pm BST) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Boston. The group stage concludes against Panama on Saturday 27 June (10pm BST) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Three games, three different cities, all in the eastern half of the United States. Dallas is the furthest west of the three venues and hosts the most matches of any stadium in the tournament. Boston and New Jersey are within driving distance of each other, making the final two group games logistically manageable for fans attending both.
The UK kick-off times (9pm and 10pm BST) mean all three group games are prime-time viewing at home, which will make for electric pub atmospheres across England regardless of where you are watching from.
How difficult is England’s World Cup group?
On paper Group L is one of the more navigable draws England could have received, but it still carries its own potential threats.
Croatia are the obvious benchmark opponents. They are one of the tournament’s dark horses despite being podium finishers in 2022, and have a squad still built around experienced players who have navigated major tournaments before. England beat them at Euro 2020 but Croatia famously denied the Three Lions from reaching the World Cup Final back in 2018 with a devastating 2-1 defeat.
Ghana are a side on an upward trajectory and should not be underestimated. Their biggest name is arguably Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo. Having recently scored the only goal in his club’s FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, he’ll have to be closely monitored by England’s defenders (including club teammates John Stones and Marc Guehi).
Panama represent the most straightforward fixture on paper. They have never beaten England in a competitive fixture and arrive as significant underdogs. Like Croatia, Panama were another side England faced in Russia’s 2018 World Cup, however the outcome was much more favourable. A thumping 6-1 victory was evidence of England’s domination in the game and is a scoreline they’ll be hoping to replicate when the two sides meet at the MetLife stadium.
It’s fair to say England should qualify from this group but following a 1-1 draw with Uruguay and 1-0 defeat to Japan in March’s friendlies, nothing is taken for granted.
Where is England’s base camp for the World Cup?
The English FA have selected Kansas City in Missouri as their base camp for the World Cup. The Three Lions will be sharing the location with Argentina, Algeria and the Netherlands. Kansas City has been chosen due to its optimal, central location in the United States, making travel to Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey manageable. It provides a stable home base across the group stage regardless of which direction the knockout draw takes England.
Who is in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad?
England’s final World Cup squad will be announced on Friday 22nd May, before the Three Lions head to Florida for warm-up games against New Zealand and Costa Rica ahead of their 11th June 11 opener.
England’s final two warm-up friendlies before the squad announcement raised familiar questions. Tuchel ran a bloated 35-man squad experiment across the two games, and without Harry Kane against Japan, England were toothless in attack. As Tuchel himself admitted after the Japan defeat: “In the absence of Harry Kane, we don’t have the same threat. Bayern Munich, in the absence of Harry Kane, does not have the same threat; no team in the world has the same threat.”
There are a number of players with a question mark over their name. Ben White sustained a worrying knee injury in Arsenal’s win at West Ham on 10th May — one that Mikel Arteta admitted “does not look good.” Levi Colwill, who missed the majority of the season after surgery on a serious knee injury, has been included in the preliminary squad after making his return to action though whether he makes the final 26 remains uncertain.
Marcus Rashford’s loan spell at Barcelona has reinvigorated his England chances, and Ollie Watkins has forced his way back into contention with a strong run of form including his 100th goal for Aston Villa after a difficult mid-season spell.
Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo’s winner in Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool which secured Champions League football for the Red Devils is likely to have caught Tuchel’s eye.
Attending England games at the World Cup
Standard tickets for England’s group games remain available through FIFA’s last-minute sales portal, though availability is limited and prices have been subject to dynamic pricing throughout the sales process. Always purchase through official FIFA channels at FIFA.com/tickets to ensure your tickets are legitimate.
For fans looking for a premium, guaranteed experience, hospitality packages through On Location — the official FIFA hospitality partner — are available for all three of England’s group games. These bundle premium seating, lounge access, and multi-course dining into a single booking, removing the uncertainty of the standard ticket market.
We have a full guide to World Cup 2026 hospitality packages covering what is included, how much they cost, and how to book safely.
Can England win the 2026 World Cup?
England were the first UEFA nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, arriving with a squad of genuine depth and a manager who has proven himself at the highest level of the club game. The group is navigable. The knockout path from the eastern side of the draw is manageable compared to the western cluster.
The question, as it always is with England, is whether the tournament moment arrives. Three finals and semi-finals in the last eight years, from Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup and most recently Euro 2024 give evidence of a team that consistently competes without quite delivering. With Kane at his absolute peak and a midfield anchored by Rice, Bellingham, and Palmer, the ceiling is high.
60 years on since 1966, England fans have waited a long time. This might be the best squad to end that wait on 19th July at MetLife stadium.
The Match Suite 
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