England and Croatia are set to renew acquaintances in Group L of the FIFA World Cup 2026, and manager Thomas Tuchel will be eager to keep his side's recent dominance over the Croatians intact.

Despite feeling like a common rivalry, the two nations have met only 11 times across their entire history. England hold the clear advantage in that record, claiming six victories against Croatia's three, with two matches ending in draws.

A rivalry defined by recent memories

Four of those 11 encounters have taken place in the last eight years alone, giving the fixture an outsized sense of familiarity. The most painful memory for England fans remains the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-final, where Croatia overturned a Kieran Trippier free-kick opener to win in extra time and shatter English dreams.

England responded well, however. A draw and a win in the 2018 UEFA Nations League double-header steadied the ship, and at Euro 2020 the Three Lions edged out Croatia 1-0, with Raheem Sterling netting the decisive goal. That result extended England's unbeaten run against Croatia to three matches.

Earlier chapters in the history books

The rivalry has not always been kind to England. Croatia defeated Steve McLaren's side twice during qualification for Euro 2008—a tournament England infamously failed to reach—leaving a lasting scar on the nation's football memory.

Redemption arrived swiftly during World Cup 2010 qualifying, when England produced two emphatic performances. Theo Walcott grabbed a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory, before England went even further in the return fixture, winning 5-1 with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard each scoring twice.

What to expect at World Cup 2026

Croatia remain a well-organised and competitive side, so a closely contested match is to be expected in their group-stage opener. If Tuchel selects the right personnel and sets his team up effectively, England have every reason to believe they can make it four unbeaten games against Croatia and get their World Cup 2026 campaign off to a strong start.