World Cup 2026: The Three Lions Show Their Strength

England has prepared very well for the 2026 World Cup. The Three Lions possesses strong and balanced lineup. With their current squad, England is considered a strong contender for this year's championship year.

The appointment of a German coach to lead England initially sparked controversy, similar to the decision to exclude a number of star players from the 2026 World Cup squad. However, the form of Three Lions has also inspired great confidence. Coach Tuchel's team was one of two UEFA representatives (along with Norway) to win all eight qualifying matches. Notably, the Three Lions were the only team to complete the qualifying campaign without conceding a single goal. Additionally, two consecutive clean-sheet victories in pre-tournament friendlies suggest that Thomas Tuchel appears to have found the necessary balance for the team.

The challenge for Thomas Tuchel and his players is to maintain consistency and handle pressure well in crucial moments. This has been a lingering issue for the English team in recent tournaments, preventing them from achieving glory years.

Thomas Tuchel's side will still enter the match against Croatia with full focus. A victory would give England a major advantage in the race for top spot in the group and reduce pressure in subsequent matches.

History also favors the English side, as they have lost only one of their last eight World Cup opening matches (winning four, drawing three). Since Euro 2024, only one European team has beaten England, further strengthening confidence in a favorable start.

England's success in this tournament heavily depends on the performance of striker Harry Kane. Only Kylian Mbappe (12 goals) has scored more than Kane (8 goals) in the last two World Cups (2018 and 2022).

England's first opponent is an experienced and hard-to-beat Croatia. The Balkan representatives are no longer seen as "dark horses" in major tournaments. They arrive at their seventh World Cup history as one of the consistent performers in major competitions.

They defeated England in extra time in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, the where Croatia impressively finished as runners-up. Although the golden generation of the Croatian team is aging, match will be far from easy for England, and could even tense affair.

Croatia also had an impressive qualifying campaign, remaining unbeaten with seven wins and one draw. However, their performance in four subsequent friendlies lacked consistency, winning only two and losing two. Notably, the checkered-shirt team conceded goals in all four matches, signs of defensive vulnerability before the world's biggest football festival.

Nevertheless, Croatia cannot be taken lightly. The Balkan representatives have reached the semi-finals of the last two World Cups and remained undefeated in the group stage of both tournaments, recording four wins and two draws. Although they have won only one of their last five World Cup openers (one draw, three losses), their tournament pedigree makes them a difficult challenge for any opponent.

The biggest source of inspiration for Croatia is Luka Modric. Also worthy of mention is Ivan Perisic. The veteran winger has had hand in more goals for goals in Croatian history at major tournaments (10 goals, 8 assists).

The crucial Group L match between England and Croatia will take place at 3:00 AM on June 18. Facing an opponent that made the Three Lions suffer in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, Thomas Tuchel's aim not only for opening victory but also to assert their status as one strong contenders for the title.

Predicted lineups for the two teams
England: Pickford, James, Stones, Guehi, O'Reilly, Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane
Croatia: Livakovic, Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol, Stanisic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic, P. Sucic, Baturina, Musa