England predicted lineup vs Croatia for FIFA World Cup 2026

England and Croatia faced each other last time in the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

England are set to face Croatia in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opening game at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday, June 17. Both sides are drawn in Group L of the summer competition alongside Ghana and Panama.

The Three Lions are keen to end their 60-year wait and finally win the coveted tournament. In the first step of their pursuit, they will have to slay their former rivals, Croatia. Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has reshuffled the English team to create one he thinks could challenge for the title.

If they beat Croatia, the Three Lions have a pretty manageable draw, as the other two teams in their group are Ghana and Panama. The English side has built a strong attack, courtesy of Harry Kane’s astounding form, and a solid defence.

Coming into the FIFA World Cup 2026, Thomas Tuchel has also been in charge of the Three Lions for more than 18 months. England also had a near-flawless performance in the UEFA qualifiers. They won UEFA Group K with an unblemished record of 8 wins and 0 goals conceded.

The English team continued their winning run at the pre-World Cup friendlies. Thomas Tuchel’s side conceded a single goal during the warm-up games, defeating New Zealand 1-0 and Costa Rica 3-0.

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England team news ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 clash against Croatia

The English team suffered a major blow just before their opening game, as Crystal Palace defender Tino Livramento was ruled out of the tournament. Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah has been called up as a replacement for the 23-year-old.

Thus, Reece James is likely to play as the right-back, while John Stones and Ezri Konsa will play as the central defensive duo. Nico O’Reilly is expected to be fielded as the left back. In the midfield, Declan Rice is likely to play Elliot Anderson to provide energy and defensive stability. Jude Bellingham will play behind Bayern Munich star and England captain Harry Kane.

On the wings, Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke could start over Marcus Rashford and Arsenal attacker Bukayo Saka. The English squad looks strong on paper; however, it remains to be seen how they perform against Croatia.

England’s predicted line-up vs. Croatia

England predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Stones, Konsa, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

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