World Cup 2026 Preview Group L: The Three Lions of England Face a Challenge From Croatia
The 2026 World Cup begins today at 3 pm when South Africa faces Mexico in Estadio Azteca. Group L is the final group to preview, though it is far from the least compelling group. The club from England, affectionately called the Three Lions, is ranked number 4 in the world by FIFA. They have a long history of disappointment in this tournament and could be in for it again this year.
Also in Group L in this tournament is number eleven-ranked Croatia. They are good enough that they could challenge winning this group. The rest of this group is the Black Stars from Ghana. They are not as good as they have been in the past. Panama is the final team in the group and is ranked number 33. How far do you think England will make it in this tournament?
World Cup Group L Preview
Group L is fascinating. Will Croatia top England? Will Panama advance? What has happened to the Black Stars of Ghana? The answers to these questions, and more, will unfold as the games in this group do.
The top team in this group could be the team from England. They are ranked number 4 in the world by FIFA. The team has reached the last two finals of the Euro. They were a perfect 8-0-0 in qualifying and scored 22 goals against none allowed. However, they face a strong in-group competitor in Croatia. It will be fascinating to see how this all plays out.
England is again led by striker Harry Kane. He is the captain and all-time leading scorer. When he is balanced, he can be dangerous. Will he be balanced? He will be helped out by 23-year-old Elliot Anderson. He will play central midfield for the Three Lions. He has been an excellent distributor of the ball this season at Nottingham Forest.
Croatia is a perennial overachiever. The country finished second and third in the last two World Cups. The Blazers rely on old players. A good point is that these players are experienced, very experienced. They have had a lot of success, and manager Zlatko Dalic feels comfortable with these experienced players.
Luka Modric has long been a productive midfielder for the Blazers. He is 40 years old and is the most capped player in the national side’s history. He plays for Real Madrid and won the 2018 Ballon d’Or. Croatia has such an old lineup that it is refreshing to find the 19-year-old defender Luka Vuskoic. He already dominates for Hamburg in the Bundesliga. He scored his first goal for the team in a March friendly.
The Blak Stars of Ghana are ranked 74th by FIFA. They used to be the best team in Africa, but their failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup marked the Nadir for this team. They started their comeback by qualifying for this tournament, but expectations are understandably low.
The Black Stars are led in this World Cup by Antoine Semenyo. He is a midfielder who just transferred to Manchester City for $87 million. The 26-year-old is a dangerous distributor of the ball. A possible breakout star for Ghana is Abdul Fatawu, who has a strong left-footed shot and plays for Leicester City. He suffered a torn ACL in 2024, but is fully recovered.
Group I Forecast
England will make it out of the group, but will likely get an unfavorable draw for the knockout round. They should exit by the quarterfinals. Croatia, on the other hand, may have a more favorable draw and could make it as far as the round of 16. Neither Ghana nor Panama will make it out of this group.
