World Cup 2026 Group L Preview & Picks - England and Croatia on Top in Group L

Thomas Tuchel’s side are short-priced odds-on favourites at 1.28 to win Group L, with Croatia coming in at a tempting 4.0. Ghana are available at 11.0, while Panama are 51.0 rank outsiders in the section.

England enjoyed a flawless qualification campaign, winning all eight games without conceding a goal, and rightly come into the section as Group L favourites.

Let’s take a deeper look at our final group in this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Thomas Tuchel’s side won all eight qualifiers without conceding a goal, albeit in a relatively lightweight section featuring Serbia and Albania. The Three Lions scored 22 goals in the process, including emphatic 5-0 away wins in Latvia and Serbia.

Recent friendly displays have been less convincing. A 1-1 draw against Uruguay and a 1-0 defeat against Japan at Wembley raised familiar questions about England’s ability to turn possession and attacking talent into dominant front-footed performances.

Tuchel has quickly implemented a clear 4-2-3-1 identity, with Harry Kane operating as the focal point. Jude Bellingham is expected to play in the number 10 role, while Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford, alongside Bukayo Saka, provide pace and quality from wide areas.

Declan Rice anchors midfield, while Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa and Jordan Pickford offer defensive reliability and experience.

On paper, England still possesses one of the strongest squads in the competition, though the absences of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold have understandably raised eyebrows.

Blessed with huge attacking depth, Tuchel has shown considerable bravery in leaving out several established stars. However, his ability to build chemistry and continuity within the squad could prove crucial in England’s bid to finally end 60 years of hurt.

England should have too much quality for Ghana and Panama, while their opener against Croatia at AT&T Stadium on June17th is likely to prove decisive in the battle for top spot.

Fellow European qualifiers Croatia look the obvious threat to challenge England for top spot and could offer some value at 4.0 to win the section.

Zlatko Dalic’s side remain one of the great tournament teams of the modern era, having reached the 2018 World Cup final before finishing third in Qatar four years later.

Despite that remarkable pedigree, Croatia remain outsiders at 81.0 to go one better and claim their first-ever World Cup triumph.

An underwhelming group-stage exit at Euro 2024 may partly explain those generous odds, but the Croats still possess enough experience and technical quality to prove dangerous opponents in the Americas.

The Europeans eased through qualification, dropping just two points while remaining unbeaten in a relatively lightweight section featuring Czechia, Faroe Islands and Montenegro.

Legendary captain Luka Modric, set for a fifth World Cup appearance, remains the heartbeat of the Blazers. Even at 40 years old, the AC Milan maestro could still have a major influence in another deep Croatian run.

Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic and Modric provide calmness and technical security in midfield, while Petar Sucic is one of the emerging talents pushing to break into an experienced squad.

In the final third, Andrej Kramaric and Ante Budimir remain reliable attacking outlets, while Ivan Perisic is another veteran loaded with tournament nous.

England are still the likelier group winners, but Croatia know exactly how to manage tournament football. Their opening clash against Tuchel’s side on June 17 could prove decisive in determining the final Group L standings.

The Black Stars endured a four-game losing run in friendly fixtures between November and May, including a disastrous 5-1 defeat against Austria. Those results led to the dismissal of Otto Addo, with experienced boss Carlos Queiroz taking the reins.

Another defeat followed against Mexico in the Portuguese manager’s first match at the helm, though a 1-1 draw with Wales at least stopped the rot ahead of a testing summer schedule.

A strong qualification campaign should still offer some encouragement. Ghana topped CAF Group I, finishing six points clear of nearest rivals Madagascar.

With Queiroz now in charge, the Black Stars will look to improve their defensive structure. Twelve goals conceded across those recent friendly defeats highlighted the urgent defensive work required by the new head coach.

Stronger in attacking areas, Antoine Semenyo is arguably the standout performer, but with just three goals in 34 caps, he has yet to fully translate his Premier League form to the international stage.

Mohammed Kudus’s injury is a massive blow for a side that already lacks the depth to seriously challenge the established order in Group L. Inaki Williams and experienced captain Jordan Ayew are expected to carry much of the Ghanaian threat in attacking areas.

Thomas Partey brings experience and composure in midfield, though off-field legal issues could prove an unwelcome distraction for a nation that usually enjoys strong neutral support at major tournaments.

A June 18 opener against Panama could prove crucial if Ghana are to carry genuine qualification hopes into tougher fixtures against England and Croatia.

Returning to the World Cup for only the second time, Panama are clear outsiders in what looks a challenging section for the CONCACAF qualifiers.

Led by Danish boss Thomas Christiansen, the Panamanians were undoubtedly beneficiaries of an expanded World Cup and a qualification campaign contested without hosts USA, Canada and Mexico.

Unbeaten across 10 qualifiers through two phases of CONCACAF qualification, Panama finished ahead of modest opposition in Nicaragua, Suriname and Guyana to secure their place at the finals this summer.

A FIFA ranking of 33 still looks generous considering recent friendly performances. Christensen’s men were held to draws against Bolivia and South Africa - ranked 76th and 60th respectively - before suffering a 6-2 hammering against Brazil at the end of May.

Last summer’s Gold Cup campaign also proved disappointing, with Panama knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Honduras.

Panama’s previous World Cup appearance in 2018 offers little encouragement. The Canal Men lost all three group games, conceding 11 goals, including a 6-1 defeat against England.

On the plus side, Panama are likely to be more organised this time around, though their recent hammering against Brazil offers a clue as to what could lie in store when they meet the English again in their final group fixture in New Jersey.

Veteran Anibal Godoy brings huge experience in midfield, while Mexico-based playmaker Adalberto Carrasquilla remains their key creative outlet in attacking areas.

With a squad largely based in the Americas, Panama should at least be acclimatised to potentially soaring temperatures this summer, but a lack of genuine quality is likely to see them struggle in Group L.

Taking points from their opener against Ghana will be crucial, though with Croatia and England to follow, Panamanian progress looks unlikely.