England at World Cup 2026

Every Fixture, UK Kickoff Time and What to Expect

The Three Lions are back at a World Cup for the first time since Qatar 2022, and this time the tournament is on the other side of the Atlantic. Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first major international tournament with England, who head to North America in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The group stage kicks off with a proper test a rematch of the 2018 semi-final against Croatia and every match is free to air on BBC or ITV.

England's Group L All Three Fixtures

Date	Match	Venues	UK (BST)	TV
Wed 17 Jun	England vs Croatia	Dallas Stadium, Arlington TX	9:00pm	ITV1
Tue 23 Jun	England vs Ghana	Boston Stadium, Foxborough MA	9:00pm	BBC One
Sat 27 Jun	Panama vs England	New York NJ Stadium, East Rutherford NJ	10:00pm	ITV1

All three matches fall at civilised times for UK viewers — none of the 2am alarms that some other fans will need for late-night fixtures. England's group stage runs from Wednesday 17 June through to Saturday 27 June.

See the full Group L breakdown, standings and results as they come in.

Match 1 England vs Croatia

Wednesday 17 June 2026 | 9:00pm BST | Dallas Stadium, Arlington TX | ITV1

This is the one. England and Croatia at a World Cup carries its own emotional weight, and the 2018 semi-final in Moscow still lingers. That night in Russia, England were 1-0 up through a Kieran Trippier free-kick seemingly heading to their first World Cup final in 52 years before Ivan Perisic equalised and Mario Mandzukic won it in extra time. England got a measure of revenge at Euro 2020 but the World Cup debt has never been settled.

Croatia are no longer the team they were. Luka Modric is 40. The golden generation that reached back-to-back knockout rounds in 2018 and 2022 has passed its peak. But this is still a side built on tactical intelligence and a refusal to lose shape. They are ranked 11th in the world; England are 4th. It will not be easy.

For Tuchel, this is his first competitive match as England manager at a major tournament. England were unbeaten in qualifying eight played, eight won, 22 goals scored, zero conceded. The question is what that translates to against stronger opposition.

Full England vs Croatia head-to-head history and group context:

The venue is Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, Texas home of the Dallas Cowboys. It holds around 94,000 for the World Cup and has a retractable roof, which matters given June temperatures in Texas can push well above 35 degrees. The stadium's four giant screens suspended above the pitch are a famous feature. England fans travelling out should use the TRE or DART rail services between Dallas and Fort Worth to reach the stadium area.

Match 2 England vs Ghana

Tuesday 23 June 2026 | 9:00pm BST | Boston Stadium, Foxborough MA | BBC One

England and Ghana have met competitively just once a 2011 Wembley friendly that ended 1-1. June 23 in Boston will be their first ever competitive match. There is no tournament history to draw on between these two nations, which makes it a genuinely interesting fixture to read.

Ghana arrived as outsiders in Group L but have a habit of performing above expectations at World Cups. Their 2010 quarter-final run ending only after Luis Suarez's infamous handball on the line denied them a semi-final place showed what this country is capable of on a tournament stage.

Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots) holds 68,000 for the World Cup. It sits in Foxborough, around 25 miles south of central Boston. The MBTA Commuter Rail runs match-day services from South Station in Boston to Foxborough the most practical route for fans without a car.

Match 3 Panama vs England

Saturday 27 June 2026 | 10:00pm BST | New York NJ Stadium, East Rutherford NJ | ITV1

England met Panama at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and won 6-1. Harry Kane scored a hat-trick. It remains one of the more straightforward England afternoons in recent World Cup memory. Panama return to the tournament for only the second time and will arrive as the underdogs of Group L.

But group stage finales have their own particular pressure. Both sides will know exactly what they need from the result by the time June 27 comes around. Panama will have nothing to lose, which is always a dangerous state for an opponent to be in.

The venue is MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey the same ground hosting the World Cup final on July 19 and the largest stadium in the tournament at over 82,000 capacity. For UK fans travelling out, New York City is one of the most accessible American cities from British airports. NJ Transit runs directly from Penn Station in Manhattan to the stadium in around 30 minutes about as straightforward as a World Cup stadium journey gets.

Full World Cup 2026 stadium guide every venue England could visit from group stage to final.

Thomas Tuchel His First Major Tournament

Thomas Tuchel was appointed England manager in October 2024 following Gareth Southgate's departure after the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. He won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2023, but World Cup 2026 is his first experience managing a national side at a major tournament.

His qualifying record was immaculate. England won all eight of their matches, scoring 22 goals without conceding a single one. He has Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka available, along with a deeper squad of Premier League quality. Whether that group can go the distance in North America is what the next six weeks will answer.

Head-to-Head History with Group L Opponents

Opponent	Major Tournament History	Last Meeting	Result
Croatia	2018 WC semi-final (lost 2-1 AET) Euro 2020 groups (won 1-0) Euro 2004 groups (won 4-2)	Euro 2020, Wembley	England 1-0 Croatia
Ghana	No competitive meetings 2011 Wembley friendly (drew 1-1)	Wembley friendly, 2011	England 1-1 Ghana
Panama	2018 WC groups (won 6-1) Kane hat-trick	2018 World Cup, Russia	England 6-1 Panama

Watching England in the UK

Every World Cup 2026 match is free to air in the UK. BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer carry 54 matches. ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX have the remaining 51. Both broadcasters will show the final together, as is tradition.

England's three group games split neatly ITV1 gets the Croatia opener and the Panama finale, BBC One covers Ghana in the middle. All three kick off at manageable UK times: two at 9pm, one at 10pm. BBC Radio 5 Live has full commentary on every match.

Note: England's yellow card record resets after the group stage under the new 2026 rules. Bookings from Croatia, Ghana or Panama will be cleared before the Round of 32. Players cannot carry early-tournament cautions into the later knockout rounds.