CORNERFLICK
England face Croatia tonight in Group L at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kick-off set for 11:30pm as both sides begin their 2026 World Cup campaign.
Thomas Tuchel is taking charge of his first World Cup as England manager and has made some big calls in his squad selection, leaving out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Ivan Toney returns after a season in which he scored 42 goals for Al Ahli, while Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins give England several options in attack.
Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are expected to anchor the midfield, with England likely to press high and use the pace of their wide players to disrupt Croatia’s rhythm.
Croatia still lean on their senior core. Luka Modrić, 40, is set for his fifth World Cup, alongside Mateo Kovačić, Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić, with Joško Gvardiol adding balance at the back.
Zlatko Dalić also has younger players in the group, including Martin Baturina and Petar Sučić, as Croatia look to blend experience and energy in a group that also includes Ghana and Panama.