England's opening match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Croatia is set for Wednesday, June 17, with a 9 pm BST kick-off — and ITV will broadcast the Group L fixture from the first whistle.

Coverage begins at 8 pm, giving fans a full hour of pre-match build-up before Thomas Tuchel's side take to the pitch against a Croatia team that famously knocked England out of the World Cup in 2018.

In the studio

Mark Pougatch will present ITV's coverage on the night. He will be joined in the studio by two England legends: Ian Wright and Gary Neville.

Neville earned 85 caps for England and represented his country at five major tournaments — three European Championships and two World Cups. Wright, meanwhile, won 33 caps and scored nine international goals, though injury denied him the chance to appear at a major tournament.

Completing the studio panel is Roy Keane, whose direct, no-nonsense style will offer a counterbalance to the English enthusiasm of Wright and Neville. The three are well acquainted, having worked together on Sky Sports and on their popular football show, The Overlap.

On commentary

Sam Matterface will lead the commentary for ITV. A familiar voice on England matches, Matterface also works for TNT Sports and talkSPORT and is widely regarded as ITV's go-to commentator for international fixtures.

He will be partnered in the gantry by former England and Arsenal defender Lee Dixon, who earned 22 caps for the Three Lions. Dixon attended Euro 1992 but did not play, and subsequently lost his place in the England setup — largely to Gary Neville — missing four consecutive major tournaments.

The Matterface–Dixon partnership is a well-established one for England internationals, and supporters tuning in on June 17 will find it a reassuringly familiar pairing.