England’s latest attempt to end six decades without a major international trophy begins in Texas as they face Croatia, a nation that has already caused them heartbreak on the World Cup stage.
The Three Lions arrive with renewed optimism under Thomas Tuchel, but Croatia’s tournament pedigree ensures this will be a demanding opening test.
England Carry Expectations Again
The pressure surrounding England remains enormous as they attempt to win their first major international trophy since 1966.
The appointment of German coach Thomas Tuchel created plenty of debate, particularly after several established names were left out of his squad selection.
However, results have provided early encouragement. England won both pre-tournament friendlies without conceding, while their qualifying campaign was flawless, winning every match and keeping a clean sheet throughout.
Their World Cup record in opening games also provides confidence. England have lost only one of their last eight opening fixtures at the tournament, winning four and drawing three.
After years of near misses, the objective remains to turn promise into a trophy.
Croatia Remain World Cup Specialists
Croatia may not enter with the same expectations as England, but few nations have matched their consistency at recent World Cups.
The 2018 runners-up and 2022 semi-finalists have once again qualified impressively, going unbeaten through their campaign with seven wins and one draw.
Their preparation has been less convincing, however, with two victories and two defeats across four friendlies, conceding in every match.
Still, Croatia’s tournament experience cannot be ignored. They have reached at least the semi-finals in two consecutive World Cups and remain one of the toughest opponents in knockout football.
Head-to-Head History
Croatia famously defeated England in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, but that remains their only victory in the last six meetings between the teams.
England have won four of those encounters, with one draw.
Key Players to Watch
England’s attacking hopes will again centre around Harry Kane, who has been their defining World Cup figure in recent tournaments.
Kane scored eight goals across the 2018 and 2022 editions, with only two arriving before the 40th minute.
Croatia’s hopes remain closely linked to veteran midfielder Luka Modrić. Should he feature, he will join an elite group of players to appear at five different World Cups. He scored in each of Croatia’s last three warm-up matches, opening the scoring each time.
England have no major injury concerns, although Bukayo Saka’s workload is being carefully managed. Croatia defender Duje Ćaleta-Car is racing to recover from a back injury.
Numbers That Matter
- England have lost only one of their last eight World Cup openers.
- England have conceded in just one of their last ten matches.
- None of England’s last six matches produced more than one first-half goal.
- Six of Croatia’s last seven games featured over 2.5 goals.
- Croatia’s last ten goals conceded or scored came after the 30th minute.
Kick-off is set for tonight at 11 pm.
