England kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia at the AT&T; Stadium in Dallas on Sunday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm BST — a rematch that carries echoes of the 2018 semi-final heartbreak in Moscow.

Thomas Tuchel's side enter the contest in Group L having endured a turbulent build-up. Tino Livramento was ruled out through injury just days before the match, forcing a late call-up for Trevoh Chalobah, who travelled to the United States at short notice to join the squad. The disruption followed reports that a quantity of the team's equipment was stolen in the week prior to the tournament.

Despite the chaos off the pitch, England will draw confidence from their recent record against Croatia. Since that painful extra-time defeat in Russia eight years ago, the Three Lions have beaten Luka Modric and his teammates in both the UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Championship.

In terms of the starting lineup, John Stones is expected to partner Ezri Konsa in central defence. Bukayo Saka's place in the opening XI remains uncertain, with the Arsenal forward potentially starting on the bench for England's first game.

Earlier in the evening, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal open their own World Cup account against DR Congo, with that match kicking off at 6pm BST.