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England 2026 World Cup draw: Three Lions face Croatia, Panama, Ghana

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Onuoha: England will be well prepared to face Croatia (0:45)

Nedum Onuoha is unfazed by England being drawn with UEFA rivals Croatia in Group L at the 2026 World Cup. (0:45)

England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L at next summer's 2026 World Cup.

Friday's draw in Washington D.C. threw up a repeat of the 2018 semifinal between the Three Lions and Croatia, who won that clash in extra-time before losing the final to France.

England beat Croatia in their only subsequent meeting -- the opening game of Euro 2020 at Wembley.

Thomas Tuchel's side will play Croatia, ranked 10th in the world by FIFA, on June 17 in either Dallas or Toronto before playing Ghana six days later.

That game will take place in Boston or Toronto, 15 years on from their only previous meeting: a 1-1 friendly draw in 2011. Ghana are currently ranked 72nd in the world.

England's final match will be against Panama on June 27 in either New Jersey or Philadelphia.

Their biggest-ever win at a World Cup came against Panama, now ranked 30, when Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory in 2018.

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"Difficult group, difficult opener," Tuchel said afterwards. "Difficult group with Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups and two proud and strong nations.

"Panama, I don't know much about Panama at the moment but we will find out about it before the tournament starts, of course.

"For me, I'm only experienced group football in Champions League formats and the way to approach it was to always give it the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult like our group now but we are confident and we will be well prepared when we arrive."

FIFA decided to seed the draw for the first time, meaning the top four ranked nations -- Spain, Argentina, France and England -- will all be kept apart if they all win their respective groups.

A possible route to the final would see England play Mexico in the round-of-16, Brazil in the quarter-finals, Argentina in the semi-finals and then Spain in the final, which takes place on July 19 in New Jersey.


When will we know England's venues?

We know the dates of England's group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup, but kickoff times and stadium assignments won't be confirmed until Saturday.

We do, however, know the likely venues.

The full schedule reveal is set for Saturday, with FIFA presenting a live broadcast from 5 p.m. GMT.

This "allocation process," per FIFA, "aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams and spectators" and enables fans "to watch their teams play live across different time zones."

In practice, that means FIFA will place group-stage matches in the most suitable location based on time zones, of which there are four across the 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.


What is the World Cup format and schedule?

The 2026 World Cup -- expanded from 32 teams to 48 -- will feature 12 groups of four, with 42 teams drawn on Friday. Twenty-two more nations are headed to playoffs which will determine the final six spots in March.

There will be 104 games, instead of 64, in the World Cup running from June 11 through to July 19 at 16 venues throughout North America. Seventy-eight games will be at 11 NFL stadiums, including all from the quarterfinals on, and 13 each in Mexico and Canada. The final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where there will be a halftime show for the first time.

In addition to 12 group winners and second-place nations, eight third-place teams advance to a new round of 32. The World Cup winner will play eight games.

England, as one of the four highest-ranked teams, have been rewarded in the draw's new tennis-style seeded bracket, which ensures they will not face Spain, Argentina or France until the semifinals -- provided they all win their respective groups. England and France would be kept apart until the final, in this scenario.