England v Croatia
Group L
Wednesday, 17 June | Dallas Stadium
Kick-off time
15:00 (Dallas) | 21:00 (London) | 22:00 (Zagreb)
The match
European heavyweights England and Croatia begin their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaigns with this mouth-watering showdown at Dallas Stadium. Croatia, who finished third at Qatar 2022 and were beaten finalists in Russia 2018, qualified unbeaten as UEFA preliminary Group L winners. Thomas Tuchel's England, meanwhile, emerged with a 100 per cent record from UEFA Group K, boosting morale ahead of their latest quest to emulate the nation's only global triumph from 1966.
Previous World Cup meetings
England and Croatia's only previous meeting at the FIFA World Cup™ came at Russia 2018, when they faced off in a high-stakes semi-final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Kieran Trippier gave the Three Lions a dream start when he curled home a free-kick with only five minutes on the clock. But Luka Modric and Co grew into the contest after the interval, levelling through Ivan Perisic before securing victory, and a place in the final, thanks to Mario Mandzukic's extra-time clincher.
How to watch England v Croatia live
For where to watch information on England v Croatia dedicated to your location, visit our World Cup scores and fixtures page, which will be updated with all broadcaster details closer to the tournament. Fans can also follow all the action via the FIFA Match Centre with team news, live blogs and in-depth statistics on every fixture.
Buy tickets for England v Croatia
Visit our dedicated tickets and hospitality page to find more information on available tickets and hospitality packages for England v Croatia and all FIFA World Cup games.
Dallas Stadium
Dallas Stadium is a jaw-dropping example of stadium architecture that will witness nine World Cup 2026 matches. Since opening in 2009, it has been the home of five-time Super Bowl winners the Dallas Cowboys, and has also hosted the Concacaf Gold Cup and Mexico national team matches. The iconic venue will play host to five group-stage games, two Round of 32 fixtures, one Round of 16 tie and the first semi-final on Tuesday, 14 July.