England have been drawn in Group L at FIFA’s ceremony in Washington D.C. on Friday for next summer’s World Cup
England are set to kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia, as they aim to put an end to 60 years of disappointment. The groups for the forthcoming tournament were determined during a lengthy and glamorous ceremony held by FIFA in Washington on Friday.
Following a flawless qualification campaign that secured their place at the World Cup, the Three Lions now know their opponents, having been drawn into Group L. Their first match will be against Croatia, with the game set to take place in either Toronto or Dallas.
The draw also pitted England against Panama, their opponents from the 2018 tournament, with Ghana completing the group. While the identities of their opponents are known, the locations of their matches remain uncertain.
However, it is clear that England will not face any of the other top seeds – Argentina or Spain – until at least the semi-finals, and France only in the final, provided all four teams top their respective groups.
A second draw is scheduled for Saturday to decide the venues for each match. The FA had initially hoped for England to be placed in Group J, which would have meant playing two games in Kansas City, the preferred location for their training base, reports the Mirror.
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Thomas Tuchel’s team have already confirmed a warm-up base and will utilise Inter Miami’s facilities in Florida, where they will also play two pre-World Cup matches. The deadline for the FA to submit their chosen training base is January 10, 2026.
England are hoping to put an end to their lengthy trophy drought, which dates back to their World Cup victory on home soil in 1966. Their most recent achievement was reaching the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022, where they were defeated by France, and they made it to the semi-finals four years prior in Russia.
Gareth Southgate led both of these campaigns but stepped down after England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, with Lee Carsley stepping in as caretaker manager.
Carsley managed six matches in total before being succeeded by current head coach Tuchel. The German has already expressed his ambition to bring an end to England’s long-standing trophy drought.
Before the draw on Friday, Tuchel said: “Everyone knows that we cannot promise that we win it but they want to see a team, a team spirit, a team that gives everything and fights for each other.
“If the players bring that then I think anything is possible. We will be brave enough to dream about it, we will be brave enough to try it.
“I feel the change in expectation and a change in the feedback I get from fans and people who I meet because they like what they saw. Am I more confident now? Yes. Because we have got better. We have to arrive and try to make a special thing happen but we cannot guarantee it.”
Potential England schedule
Fixture dates are subject to final confirmation in second draw on 06/12.
England Group L Matches.
Croatia – June 17
Ghana – June 23
Panama – June 27
If England top the group:
Round of 32 – July 1
Round of 16 – July 5
Quarter-finals – July 11
Semi-final – July 15
Final – July 19
If England finish second:
Round of 32 – July 2
Round of 16 – July 6
Quarter-finals – July 10
Semi-final – July 14
Final – July 19
If England qualify as a third-placed team:
Round of 32 – July 3
