Who will Harry Kane's England face in FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage?

FIFA World Cup 2018 semi-finalists to lock horns in Group L opener.

England have been drawn in a very tough group alongside the top-seeded teams from every pot. They have been drawn alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. In what could be referred to as the Group of Death, this group features some of the best teams from three different confederations.

Opponents in group L

• From Pot 2: Croatia
• From Pot 3: Panama
• From Pot 4: Ghana

Croatia are unarguably one of the best teams in Europe. Their recent form in the last two editions of the World Cup has been brilliant, with a finals appearance in 2018 and a semi-final appearance in the most recent edition. They will feature some of the best players, including veterans Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, and Josko Gvardiol.

Panama entered the draw as the second-highest-seeded team from Pot 3. This would be their second World Cup appearance. In their maiden appearance, they scored a historic goal against the Three Lions and will be eager to make history again in 2026.

Ghana came agonisingly close to reaching the FIFA World Cup 2010 semi-finals in that famous game against Uruguay. One of the strongest African teams, Ghana, held eventual champions Germany to a 2-2 draw in their last World Cup appearance in 2014.

England coach Thomas Tuchel & who got them here

Thomas Tuchel took over the reins from Gareth Southgate, who led England to two back-to-back Euro finals and a semi-final and quarter-final finish in the World Cup. Under Tuchel’s guidance, England won every game in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Tuchel is a widely renowned coach who has previously won major titles, including the UCL with Chelsea, Bundesliga with Bayern, and Ligue 1 with PSG.

Players who played a key role in England’s qualification

There is hardly any competition where Harry Kane features. England’s all-time highest goalscorer, Kane, scored six goals in eight games and had a terrific campaign in the qualifiers. He is also in sublime form in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, who are at the summit of the German top flight.

Jordan Pickford was one of the standout performers in England’s previous Euro campaign. Despite England’s star-studded attacking unit failing to impress, Pickford single-handedly led England to the Euro finals with his heroics in the penalty shootouts. He featured in almost every game in the qualifiers, and no striker managed to get the better of Pickford even once as he kept back-to-back cleansheets in seven games.

How did England qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

England were drawn in Group K of the European qualifiers alongside Albania, Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra. They managed to beat every team twice, conceded not even once, and scored 22 goals in eight games. They finished as the table toppers of Group K with 24 points and a +22 goal difference.

World Cup history

England won the World Cup at home in 1966.

The Three Lions did not feature in the first three editions of the World Cup because they were not part of FIFA. Their maiden appearance in 1950 ended in the group stage and had a mediocre campaign in the next few editions. Their breakthrough moment came in 1966, when they hosted the FIFA World Cup.

The home team went on to defeat Argentina, Portugal and West Germany in the knockout round to lift the trophy in front of the home fans in Wembley Stadium, London. After that, the Three Lions made it to the semi-finals twice so far in 1990 and 2018. They were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals in the last edition.

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