World Cup 2026: England begin their tournament at 21:00 BST against Croatia - listen to full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Scotland news conference expected about 17:30 BST
Who should start for England v Croatia? Have your say by using the Get Involved button below
How different will England play under Thomas Tuchel at the World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are in action before then, taking on DR Congo at 18:00 BST - predict the scores of the upcoming games here
False nines? 4-4-2? The tactical trends defining World Cup so far
England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland
World ranking - 4
World Cup appearances - 17
World Cup best performance - champions (1966)
Croatia
World ranking - 11
World Cup appearances - 7
World Cup best performance - runners-up (2018)
Ghana
World ranking - 74
World Cup appearances - 5
World Cup best performance - quarter-finals
Panama
World ranking - 33
World Cup appearances - 2
World Cup best performance - group stage
England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland captain Harry Kane might be the most in-form striker going into the tournament after scoring 54 goals for Bayern Munich this season and so, like every tournament he's played in, is one to watch.
Besides the 32-year-old, World Cup debutant Elliot Anderson is another one to keep an eye on. The Nottingham Forest midfielder had the most touches (3,300), won the most duels (297) & won the most possession (306) of any top-flight player during a season in which he had to deal with the death of his mother.
For Croatia, it's no other than legend Luka Modric. Now 40, the midfielder continues to drive standards and direct play for club and country. The man in the mask – which he's expected to wear to protect a fractured cheekbone – won the 2018 Ballon d'Or and is Croatia's greatest player of all time.
Ghana's leading man is Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo. His dream season culminated in him scoring one of the great FA Cup final goals in May. The two-footed winger became only the second man after Andy Cole to score 10 or more goals in all competitions for two different teams within the same Premier League season.
Adalberto Carrasquilla is Panama's midfield orchestrator. His poise, athleticism and high technical level were recognised when he became the first Panamanian to win Concacaf's Men's Player of the Year award in 2024. Known as 'Coco', the 27-year-old was injured playing for his Mexican club in May and could miss the start of the tournament.
Image source, Getty ImagesClick 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Watched England 0 Uruguay 0 in the opening match of '66 as an 11 year old. After they beat West Germany in the final, it never occurred to me that I would get to my 70s and still be waiting for them to win it again. Maybe this time?
Clive, London
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland v Croatia (21:00 BST)
Chris Sutton
Former England forward
Image source, BBC SportI worry about England's defence a bit, but they are definitely in the mix to win this World Cup.
Their midfield, with Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, is particularly strong. They won't have too many weaknesses and, when we get to the knockout stage, they are capable of beating anyone in a one-off game.
They should start with a win, too. Croatia are creaking now - they are an ageing team, miles off where they were when they reached the final in 2018 - and they could struggle in the heat.
Sutton's prediction: 2-0
AI's prediction: 2-1
Click 'Get Involved' at the top of the page
Tuchel has picked a squad, not a team. Players have been chosen to work together, a stark opposition to the Golden Generation. We will play to our strengths and use the experience to go far in this tournament. Come on England!
Sam, Kent
England v Croatia (21:00 BST)
England
England captain Harry Kane, talking to BBC Sport about his record-breaking season with Bayern Munich is giving him an extra edge for the World Cup:
"Throughout a career, you need a lot of things to go your way and fall into place at the right time and I feel like it has for this tournament", said Kane.
"Coming off the best season that I've ever had, first and foremost, from a fact point of view.
"Obviously, scoring a lot more goals than what I have in any other previous season, which is pleasing. But I think also just physically and mentally, the way the season ended for me was in a great way.
"To win the league and then the cup final and to score the three goals there, I think, just gave me more momentum."
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland v Croatia (21:00 BST)
We've had Paul the Octopus who correctly predicted 12 of 14 games during Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, now it's time for Jane the Chimpanzee to step forward.
After some deliberation, four-month-old chimp Jane, who lives at Wingham Wildlife Park near Canterbury, has already revealed England will beat Croatia in their Group L opener.
Mystic chimp predicts England to beat Croatia
Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Image source, BBC SportI think the big question for tonight's game is will Tuchel go for the smart shirt and waist coat like Southgate? Or the sports look of tracksuit and trainers? This must have been a large part of this week's build up for the England manager.
J Evans, Bristol
England v Croatia (21:00 BST)
Alan Shearer picks his England starting line-up for their opening World Cup game against Croatia.
Alan Shearer picks his England line-up for Croatia
England v Croatia (Weds, 21:00 BST)
Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
This is the eleven that Micah Richards, Joe Hart and Steph Houghton agreed should start against Croatia tomorrow.
"Jude Bellingham, I would start him ahead of Morgan Rogers in a number 10 position because he is a big game player," Richards said.
"I think he is a genuine superstar. I think there is two genuine stars in him and Harry Kane."
"By no way, shape or form do I think that this squad will play every game," said Hart.
"The squad has such an important role to play. I think it is a balanced team. You could change seven of those because the squad is so good."
Image source, BBC SportEngland v Croatia (21:00 BST)
Simon King
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather
Image source, Getty ImagesYou might be starting to think about heading out the door to your local pub garden, outdoor event or even garden BBQ ahead of the big match tonight. But how’s the weather looking?
While it’s actually quite cloudy across much of England at the moment, it will still feel quite warm with temperatures this afternoon around 17 to 25C.
And, there are some sunny spells in south-east England - where it’s going to feel particularly warm - and across northern England too.
We’ve got a few light showers in south-west England and the Midlands but these will fade away over the coming hours.
So, overall looking pretty good.
As we head past the 21:00 BST kick off and the sun starts to set, temperatures will drop down to around 13 to 17 degrees, so you might need to think about an extra layer for later if you’re going to be outside.
Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
I’ll be watching with an octogenarian pal who was at Wembley in 1966… having been allowed in for free! We’re all backing you England… what a team!
Paul, Hay-on-Wye
England vs Croatia (21:00 BST)
Croatia
Image source, Getty ImagesCroatia boss Zlatko Dalic has been praising England captain Harry Kane ahead of tonight's game.
Kane is England's all-time top scorer and has scored 67 goals for club and country this season.
"They have the best striker in the world, they have Kane and Kane can do a hell of a lot," said Dalic.
"We will do a lot, we will do our best not only to defend ourselves but to attack, to go forward.
"There will be set pieces, which will be quite difficult but we are prepared for that. I expect a great game and it will be a great preparation for the next two games in the group."
England vs Croatia (21:00 BST)
Croatia
Image source, Getty ImagesCroatia captain Luka Modric has weighed in on the debate over whether or not Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham should be named in Thomas Tuchel's starting 11 this evening.
Modric, now at AC Milan, played alongside Bellingham during the Croatian's final two years at Madrid before moving to Milan and described Bellingham as one of England's "phenomenal players."
“I do not like to meddle in the decisions of Thomas Tuchel. England have great players, they are phenomenal players,” he said.
“I have played with Jude for two years and I know what sort of top-notch player he is and a character as well. He is a great threat to us.”
Click 'Get Involved' to send in a question
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Dallas Stadium
Image source, Getty ImagesJonsey: Phil. Modric looking like he'll never lose his spark and a few other impressive names on their team sheet. What is the feeling from Croatia fans and pundits you may have spoken to?
Hello, Jonesy. Luka Modric is incredible isn't he?
Forty years of age and still a class act.
The Croatians are always confident, as they should be having reached the final and semi-final in the last two World Cups. They have experience and quality with other players such as Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic and something special can happen when this proud country gets together as a national team.
Very dangerous opposition not to be taken lightly.
England v Croatia (21:00 BST)
Here is why England will get to wear a gold patch on their sleeves during the World Cup...
Why do England get a special gold patch?
Click 'Get Involved' to send in a question
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Dallas Stadium
Image source, Getty ImagesJoey: Who do you think England's standout player will be this World Cup?
Hello, Joey. Let’s not go for the obvious, likely, names like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
I think the World Cup is the stage for Declan Rice to confirm he is a world-class midfielder, as he was for Arsenal last season.
England v Croatia (Weds, 21:00 BST)
Joe Hart
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live
Image source, Getty ImagesI've always talked about my journey with Harry Kane and when he came into the England team. When we came back to camps, I kept thinking he was getting better.
I thought I had a decent deck when it comes to people I faced in training, like Aguero, Gerrard and Rooney, but I was thinking he was getting better and better. He is elite focused.
I had some time away from the England squad and saw his numbers get better and I thought 'what an incredible killer'.
When I went back to Tottenham during covid, I thought he can be the number one [he faced].
As a confident goalkeeper, I put myself into the best positions, where I know how he could beat me, but I knew it was the hardest finish. Harry would do it.
It got to the point where I wasn’t even diving for his shots. He was a person I adored but he frustrated the hell out of me!
I left Tottenham in 2022, and even now he's got better. I speak to Vincent Kompany about him and he said he's getting better.
What an absolute unbelievable player. He is super human.
Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Hopefully seeing England's starting full backs play well and stay fit as we barely have any others in the squad! Quansah hasn't crossed a ball in his life and pretty sure you need them to contribute offensively to break down teams....
Daryl, London
Image source, Getty ImagesClick 'Get Involved' to send in a question
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Dallas Stadium
Image source, Getty ImagesRic: Why would Thomas Tuchel not call up Trent Alexander-Arnold in place of Tino Livramento... One (likely) injury now to James and we have Spence / Quansah to deal with Mbappe, Nico Williams et al.
Hello, Ric. He prefers to have another central defender and seems confident either Quansah or Spence can cover at right-back.
Like his defensive selection in general, I believe this is pretty risky and would put a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Quansah, who is a very much a central defender by trade.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
|
