World Cup 2026 Group L: Teams, Analysis & Predictions

Group L at the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings together England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama – and despite the expanded 48-team format diluting some of football’s most notorious “groups of death,” this quartet carries genuine intrigue. England, ranked fourth in the world by FIFA and back-to-back European Championship runners-up, arrive as firm favourites under new manager Thomas Tuchel. Croatia, ranked 11th, bring a pedigree that includes a World Cup final appearance in 2018 and a third-place finish in Qatar 2022. Ghana (FIFA 74th) possess Premier League-calibre attacking talent that can hurt anyone on their day, while Panama (33rd) qualified top of their CONCACAF group and have developed into a disciplined, tactically astute side under Thomas Christiansen.

The group runs from 17 to 27 June, with all matches played across North America. The top two teams advance automatically to the Round of 32, with the best third-placed sides also progressing under the expanded format. For England supporters, this is the most accessible path to the knockout rounds the Three Lions have had at a World Cup in years – but Croatia represent a credible threat to top billing, and Ghana could be the banana skin nobody is fully accounting for.

For a full picture of where this group fits within the tournament bracket, see our World Cup 2026 hub and complete group stage guide.

England: Tuchel’s Three Lions Finally Fly?

England enter their fifth consecutive major tournament semi-final or final cycle with genuine optimism, yet the familiar caveat applies: the squad is exceptional on paper, the performances have sometimes failed to match the billing. Thomas Tuchel’s appointment in January 2025 signalled a philosophical shift – out with the cautious pragmatism of the Southgate era, in with a more aggressive, high-press identity that the German coach instilled so effectively at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

The spine of the side picks itself. Jordan Pickford remains the undisputed number one, his shot-stopping reflexes now supplemented by improved distribution. The centre-back pairing of Marc Guéhi and Ezri Konsa has quietly become one of the most reliable in international football. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham form a midfield axis of extraordinary quality – Rice providing the defensive anchor and progressive carry from deep, Bellingham offering the goalscoring threat and creative unpredictability that few international midfielders can match. Bukayo Saka on the right remains England’s most consistently excellent wide player, while Harry Kane, despite the ongoing question marks over fitness, is the irreplaceable focal point of the attack. Tuchel himself compared Kane’s influence to that of Messi and Ronaldo within their respective setups – high praise, and not entirely hyperbolic given Kane’s 69 international goals.

The concerns are real. England’s pre-tournament friendlies against Uruguay (1-1) and Japan (1-0 defeat) were unconvincing, with the squad looking bloated and directionless without Kane in the XI. Tuchel has used a 35-man extended camp to audition fringe players, but the hierarchy is clear: if Kane is fit, England can win this group with minimal fuss. If he is not, the questions over the backup striker position – Phil Foden used as a false nine, Jarrod Bowen or Ollie Watkins as alternatives – could resurface at the worst possible time.

Bellingham’s importance grows with every fixture. The Real Madrid midfielder is central to Tuchel’s more dynamic structure, and a fit, focused Bellingham at a World Cup should be a terrifying prospect for Group L opponents. England’s [World Cup 2026 odds] to win the tournament sit at approximately 8/1 with most major UK bookmakers including bet365, William Hill and Paddy Power, reflecting both the quality of the squad and the lingering doubts about consistency.

BBC and ITV will share broadcast rights for England’s group stage fixtures, with full coverage available on iPlayer and ITVX respectively.

Croatia: Modric’s Magnificent Farewell Tour

Nobody has squeezed more from relatively modest resources than Croatia over the past decade, and the 2026 World Cup represents the final chapter of one of international football’s most remarkable stories. Luka Modric, now 40 years old and plying his trade at AC Milan after leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2025, will become one of the oldest players ever to feature at a World Cup. This will be his fifth appearance at the tournament – extraordinary by any measure – and the romantic narrative around a final bow on football’s grandest stage gives Croatia a motivated core that cannot be measured purely by squad depth.

The statistics underline Croatia’s pedigree. Finalists in 2018, third-place finishers in 2022 – eliminating Brazil along the way in Qatar – Zlatko Dalić’s side have consistently outperformed expectations. Modric won the Golden Ball as the 2018 tournament’s best player and the Bronze Ball four years later. He remains a transformative presence: his ability to control tempo, find pockets of space and unlock defensive structures does not diminish with age in quite the same way as pace-dependent players.

Around Modric, Croatia still carry genuine quality. Joško Gvardiol at left-back – ranked among the very best in the world in his position – provides dynamism and physicality. Andrej Kramaric (34) and Ivan Perišić (37) offer experienced attacking threat. Petar Musa, who returned to the national team after two years away and scored in the qualifying win over the Faroe Islands, adds fresh momentum up front. Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, the hero of Croatia’s 2022 penalty shootout against Japan and Brazil, remains a formidable last line of defence.

The concern for Croatia – and the reason their odds to win the group hover around 13/8 to 2/1 across UK bookmakers – is age. Five or more starters potentially in their mid-to-late thirties raises legitimate questions about whether the legs will hold up across three group fixtures in North American summer heat. Modric himself acknowledged in an interview earlier this year that the squad lacks the depth of previous tournaments. Croatia are capable of progressing but are unlikely to match the heights of 2018 or 2022 in the knockout rounds.

The head-to-head with England will be the defining fixture in the group. England beat Croatia 1-0 at Euro 2020 – avenging the famous 2-1 semi-final defeat in 2018 – and Tuchel’s side will be heavy favourites to repeat that result.

Ghana: Queiroz’s Black Stars and the Wildcard Threat

No team in Group L carries more uncertainty – or more raw attacking potential – than Ghana. The Black Stars arrive at their fifth World Cup amid genuine turbulence: the sacking of manager Otto Addo in late March 2026 following four consecutive defeats, a chaotic appointment process that attracted over 600 applications, and ultimately the emergency hire of 73-year-old Carlos Queiroz just weeks before the tournament. The Portuguese veteran – a former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and head coach of Real Madrid, Portugal and Iran across a five-decade career – brings immediate credibility, tactical discipline and World Cup pedigree to a squad that had been lacking all three.

Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations – their first absence from the continental championship in 21 years – underlined the fragility beneath the surface. Yet the quality in the squad is undeniable. Antoine Semenyo, now at Manchester City after a stunning season at Bournemouth, has become one of the most dangerous forwards in European football. His 18 Premier League goals across the 2025/26 season, combining explosive pace with a clinical finishing touch, make him a genuine threat against any backline in Group L. Mohammed Kudus of West Ham, a doubt due to a thigh injury, is a player of similar calibre – unpredictable, technically gifted and capable of the extraordinary. Jordan Ayew captains the side with 119 caps and 34 goals to his name; a set-piece menace and experienced campaign leader. Thomas Partey, the Arsenal midfielder, brings Champions League-level composure and tenacity in midfield.

Queiroz is not a coach who sets up to entertain. His record with Iran – defensive organisation, structured transitions, grinding out results against superior opponents – suggests Ghana will be compact and hard to break down, using Semenyo’s speed on the counter. In a group containing England and Croatia, a draw against either side could be enough to advance as one of the best third-placed teams. Friendlies against Mexico and Wales are scheduled before the tournament to allow Queiroz to assess his options.

For value seekers among UK bettors: Ghana to qualify from the group at odds of around 5/2 to 3/1 represents a credible each-way proposition.

Panama: CONCACAF’s Dark Horses

Panama are making only their second World Cup appearance, having first qualified for Russia 2018. On that occasion they lost all three group games, but the side Thomas Christiansen has built since taking charge in 2020 is considerably more mature and resilient than that debut vintage. Panama finished top of their CONCACAF qualifying group with a goal difference of +14 in the final two rounds, and reached the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League final – evidence of consistent improvement at regional level.

Christiansen, a former Spain international and top scorer in the Bundesliga with Bochum in 2002/03, has instilled a possession-focused, high-tempo approach that has evolved from the more defensive 5-4-1 blocks Panama previously relied upon. The side now operates comfortably in both a 4-2-3-1 and a compact 4-4-2, capable of pressing in short bursts and exploiting transitions. The captain is midfielder Aníbal Godoy, an experienced organiser, while Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla – the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Player – is the creative hub of the midfield. Ismael Díaz and Cecilio Waterman provide the attacking threat.

Panama famously scored against England at the 2018 World Cup – a 6-1 defeat, but a moment of history regardless. They will not be quite as outclassed this time. Christiansen’s men know how to be disciplined against heavyweight opposition, and in the heat and humidity of a North American summer – conditions more familiar to Central American players than to Europeans – they cannot be entirely discounted as a threat for the third spot.

Their opening fixture against Ghana is effectively a direct decider for third place in the group, and Ghana’s off-pitch turmoil gives Panama a genuine edge heading into Toronto. Panama are priced at 11/4 to qualify from the group at most UK bookmakers, which looks fair value given the format’s generosity towards third-placed sides.

Group L Fixtures

All six Group L fixtures are listed below in UK BST. England’s three matches will be broadcast on ITV and BBC, with streaming available via ITVX and BBC iPlayer.

The simultaneous final-day kickoffs – standard FIFA procedure – mean both Croatia-Ghana and Panama-England kick off at the same time on 27 June, preventing late tactical manipulation of results. England’s final group fixture in New York carries the prospect of a sell-out crowd with a significant Three Lions following.