England will open their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia in Group L on Wednesday, June 17, with kick-off set for 9PM British time. The match takes place at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — one of the tournament's largest venues.

Thomas Tuchel's side have settled at their base in Missouri after a turbulent build-up that included a theft incident while the squad was travelling to Kansas City, with a significant amount of equipment stolen before the matter was resolved.

A familiar rivalry renewed

The fixture carries considerable weight for England supporters. The last time these two nations met at a World Cup, Croatia eliminated England in the semi-finals of the 2018 edition with a 2-1 victory — a result that still stings for the Three Lions faithful.

England have faced Croatia three times in major international tournaments this century. The Three Lions hold the overall head-to-head advantage, claiming two victories at the UEFA European Championship. Croatia, however, lead the World Cup record between the sides, winning that lone 2018 encounter.

England's tournament-opening record

History offers some encouragement. England have won four and drawn three of their last eight World Cup openers, making a positive start far from unusual. The one blemish in that run came at the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Italy, a 2-1 defeat in which Daniel Sturridge put England ahead before the game turned.

In terms of overall World Cup pedigree, England hold a commanding edge — having appeared in 17 tournaments compared to Croatia's seven.

With the grudge match settled as their very first fixture, England face an immediate opportunity to lay down a marker in Group L and begin the long road toward erasing the memory of Moscow 2018.